Anywhere
by The Last Princess of Hyrule
Summary: [Folken x Hitomi] War and tragedy seem to follow Hitomi everywhere as she leaves Asturia, trying to keep her powers from hurting her friends. But just when she feels safe, a hard brush with destiny threatens to bring down everything Hitomi believes in.
1. Prelude: Dark Blue

**Disclaimer:** _Tenkuu no Escaflowne_ is property of Bandai and Sunrise, all rights reserved. I am in no way affiliated with these companies, or any legal proceedings concerning _Tenkuu no Escaflowne_. This story has been written purely out of enjoyment, and is not intended to make a profit, steal ideas, or offend anybody. Any similarities between my work and anyone else's is purely coincidental. "Dark Blue" song lyrics are property of No Doubt, all rights reserved.

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_**"Anywhere" - Prelude: Dark Blue**_

By The Last Princess of Hyrule

-x-X-x-X-x-

_"Unlike you, I had it easy  
You're dark blue,  
Stained from previous days,  
And you're so sad,  
It's too bad,  
I wish you could have had what I had,  
And it's too bad you're so sad,  
Maybe I can make you feel better . . ."_  
-No Doubt, "Dark Blue"

-x-X-x-X-x-

_I killed them. I killed everyone._

Hitomi Kanzaki couldn't sleep. Her mind was in turmoil.

She was sitting up in her bed, staring outside through her room's tall windows overlooking Palas, the capitol city of Asturia, and the Asturian Bay beyond it. Light from Gaea's two moons sparkled across its gentle waters and bathed the sleeping city in an eerie glow. Patches of moonlight and shadow blended to create vaporous ghosts that had haunted the crumbling city streets every night since Princess Millerna's wedding.

On that day, Hitomi brought the city to ruin.

_It's all my fault that they're gone. This city is dead because of me . . ._

Her presence in Asturia had attracted the attention of the Zaibach Empire, which had heard about her power to predict fate. They attacked Palas with the intent to capture her, and ended up destroying half of the city. Like every other country, Zaibach wanted to use her abilities as a weapon against its enemies, as well as to control the fate of the world.

"It's cheating to know all the answers before the questions are asked, but everybody wants to know anyway," Hitomi said aloud to herself. "It's like there's no honor here on Gaea."

Back in Japan, Hitomi used to read Tarot cards to tell her friends their futures just for fun, but on Gaea, her readings were disturbingly accurate, and she began to see visions of the future. These talents quickly brought her to the center of a war growing between Zaibach, Asturia, and the surrounding countries.

"If I don't tell anyone their fate, then they won't know it, and they won't try to change it. Then I won't hurt people like I do." Hitomi shook her head and tried to laugh. "I could have saved Palas, couldn't I? If I'd just accepted the future I first read for Millerna. If I hadn't been so _stupid_ to think _I_ could change fate. Then nobody would have had to die."

Her bitter, forced humor could not lift the guilt of being the reason for Palas's destruction. "I could have prevented all this." Her laughter turned to shaking sobs, and Hitomi covered her face with her hands.

_It's my fault that everyone's dead. It's all my fault . . ._

-x-X-x-X-x-

When day broke only a couple hours later, Hitomi had fallen into a restless sleep with her dreams replaying the day of Palas's attack. Outside, the sky was colored a pastel yellow, smeared with hints of pink, white, and orange, the remnants of an early morning sunrise. On the city streets, life had resumed as usual.

The citizens were working hard to repair the damage done from the attack, and unlike Hitomi, they were optimistic about the future. The repercussions of the attack had brought them closer together. Commoners helped noblemen, noblemen emptied their pockets to charity, and a feeling of unity spread through the city. The citizens buried the dead and mourned their losses, but they were quick to remember what they still had.

A loud knocking startled Hitomi out of her nightmare and into wakefulness just in time to see the door open and Princess Millerna enter her room. "Good morning!" Millerna said with a bright smile. "It's going to be such a beautiful day!"

Hitomi yawned and rubbed her eyes. As Millerna sat down beside her, she noticed how red they were, and her cheery mood vanished. "Oh my goodness, you look exhausted. Did you get any sleep last night?"

"Yeah, a bit."

"Are you still planning to volunteer at the chapel today?"

Hitomi nodded. Since the attack, she, along with Van and Merle, had been helping give aid to those who had lost everything at a small chapel on a hill overlooking the city. She was there as often as possible, and greatly enjoyed helping the citizens; it made her feel a little better about what she had done to hurt them.

"Maybe you shouldn't go today," Millerna suggested with concern. "You look like you're about to collapse. Why don't I tell everyone you aren't feeling well and you get some more sleep?"

"No thanks, I'll be fine." Hitomi yawned again and rubbed the stiffness in her neck.

Millerna looked doubtful. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

The princess's brows furrowed. "Is something bothering you?"

"What makes you think that?"

"I've seen you sleep--you can sleep for a _long_ time. If you didn't sleep last night, there must be something wrong." She suddenly brightened. "Hey, why don't you and I go get something to eat? Then you can tell me what's going on. That is, if you want to," she added.

At the mention of breakfast, Hitomi suddenly realized she was hungry. "All right."

-x-X-x-X-x-

"I was hoping to make a trip up to the chapel myself today," said Millerna as she opened the doors to the palace's Great Hall. "There's a shipment of supplies coming in from Cesario that I think they could use there."

"That's generous," Hitomi commented.

The Great Hall was vast. Hitomi had only been inside it a couple times. It was about half the size of a football field, the ceiling maybe as tall as her school's gymnasium. Millerna led her past the large dining table in the center to a smaller room. There were several of these average-sized dining rooms adjourning the Great Hall, reserved for practical, less formal meals. The one Millerna entered held a small table already set for them. "I was hoping you would come," she explained.

As Hitomi and Millerna sat down opposite each other, a small door on the other side of the room opened, and a servant carrying a tray of steaming food entered.

"It's nice to be able to eat without a whole bunch of people around once in a while," Millerna said as the servant placed two bowls of warm spiced porridge before them. "It's so tiring eating with foreign dignitaries all the time. You always have to watch everything you do."

The servant bowed and left. Hitomi dipped her spoon in her porridge and blew on it.

"But really," said Millerna as the door closed, suddenly serious again, "what's bothering you?"

Startled, Hitomi looked up at her. The princess's face mirrored the concern Hitomi had seen in it earlier in her bedroom, a look that didn't often cross Millerna's smooth face. When it did appear, however, Hitomi knew it was serious. When Millerna was worried, she was very worried.

"It's nothing." Hitomi smiled and waved it off, as if she were waving away her troubled thoughts. But they weren't so easily deterred, and neither was Millerna.

"You can tell me," Millerna assured her. "I won't tell anyone, if that's what you want. It's not good to keep your emotions hidden all the time. If there's something wrong, sometimes it's best to let it out and tell someone about it."

Hitomi half wanted to tell her, but she had no idea where to start. Millerna knew how Hitomi blamed herself for what happened to Palas on the princess's wedding day, but Hitomi didn't feel comfortable bringing it up again. She felt guilty for still thinking about it when Millerna assured her repeatedly that it wasn't her fault, and there were no hard feelings between them.

"I don't know," Hitomi began evasively. "I just feel really bad."

"You mean sick?"

"No, it's not that. I'm just . . . depressed."

Millerna took a bite. "What's bothering you?"

Hitomi decided there was no point in keeping it from her. Otherwise their conversation would just kept going around in circles. "I still feel really bad about what I did to Asturia. I know you said it wasn't my fault, but I can't help feeling like it was. I mean, it _was_ my presence here that drew Zaibach."

"Yes, that's true, but you didn't do anything on purpose. I know it doesn't feel like it now, but this'll all go away soon. Not just the war and everything, but you will start to feel better too."

Hitomi stirred her porridge and said nothing.

"Trust me--you won't feel this bad forever. I've had my days where I was really depressed, like when I'd done something to make my father or my sisters feel bad. I know that's not exactly the same thing, but I felt horrible about making them so ashamed of me, kind of like the way you do."

Millerna smiled. "But eventually, when I was busy and not thinking about it, everyone forgot I had done something wrong, and things went back to normal. Everything will settle down around here soon. Then you'll feel better, I'm sure of it."

-x-X-x-X-x-

When the afternoon came, Hitomi walked out to the chapel with Van and Merle not feeling much better, but trying to take Millerna's advice and stay busy. She was outside shaking linen shirts and folding them into a wicker basket when the princess her caravan arrived with the supplies from Cesario.

Several familiar faces stepped out of the carriage, and Hitomi hastily turned away to avoid being seen by one, but he spotted her anyway. "Hitomi!"

Her heart sank, and Hitomi forced herself to face him. Allen Schezar strode purposefully to where Hitomi stood, and she could tell he wasn't in a good mood. His blue eyes, which she normally found so warm and caring, were hard with anger.

"What are you doing out here?" he demanded.

Hitomi looked down at her basket. "Well, everybody else is doing something. I couldn't just sit around and not help."

Allen crossed his arms. "How can you just leave the palace like this? Don't you realize how important you are to Gaea's future?" He scowled. "You're always leaving without asking. Like when you went to Fanelia with Van." There was an accusative edge to his words.

Hitomi looked away, a slight blush rising to her cheeks. She hadn't told Allen about her trip to the ruins of Fanelia a few weeks ago. The same Zaibach forces that were threatening Asturia had burned Fanelia to the ground only a few days after she arrived on Gaea. "I . . . I don't think that's any of your business, Allen," she said quietly.

"Is there something bothering you?" Allen asked in an impatient voice that didn't invite her to confess the reasons of her bad mood. "Don't hide anything from me."

Hitomi's temper snapped, and she looked up at Allen with an angry glare. "What are you talking about? I'm not hiding anything from you!" She tightened her grip on the basket and shoved roughly past him.

Allen turned as she started to walk away. "Wait a minute! Hitomi!"

Hitomi paused, but didn't look back. "Stop worrying about me. I can take care of myself just fine. I'll go back to the castle later. By _myself_." She jogged away.

"Hitomi!"

But Hitomi ignored him.

-x-X-x-X-x-

When she was out of sight of the church, Hitomi slowed to a walk and sighed. _What's the matter with me today?_ She walked down the hill on a dirt path back toward the ocean-side city stretched out before her. _I got mad and told Allen off . . ._ Hitomi stopped and looked back at the church. _I can't believe I just did that._

How could she be so angry with Allen? After all, he was the man she was in love with. She had loved him from almost the instant they met months ago when she first arrived on Gaea. Strange that only four or five months had passed since she arrived. It felt like she had been on the planet much longer.

Hitomi looked up at where the Earth hovered in the sky above the ocean. Her eyes lingered on it for a moment, then traveled down to Palas again. Its desecrated ruin spread out from the harbor inward, filling her with bitter disgust. Tears stung her eyes as she dropped the basket and knelt in runner's preparation, her hands out in front of her and head bowed.

The thoughts of Palas's despair never left her mind since the day of the attack, and sometimes her only escape from them was through running. In a way, it relaxed her. When she was running, Hitomi felt like she was back home on Earth again.

She rose into a ready position. Closing her eyes, she imagined herself on the track at school. Her crush, Amano, would be waiting at the finish line. "Kanzaki!" he would call. "Are you ready?"

"I'm ready, Amano," she'd shout back.

"All right," he would say. "Go!"

Her head snapped up, her eyes opened, and Hitomi ran.

She flew down the hill and into the city, the image of Amano so sharp in her mind that she almost expected to see him timing her around every corner. What she saw instead were visions of desolation she had caused. There were broken buildings and scorched rubble everywhere. Homeless people in tattered clothes filled the streets, cooking over open fires and huddling together to keep warm.

When Hitomi reached the palace, she was breathing heavily and her body was drenched with sweat. Her school uniform felt disgusting, so she headed to her room intending to change into something clean. Unfortunately, the only other clothes she had were her track clothes, and they were only a mild improvement. She put them on anyway, and gathered her uniform together to find somewhere to wash it.

After ten minutes of wandering through the palace, Hitomi was hopelessly lost. _Whoever designed this place must have _wanted_ it to be a maze just to piss off the guests. How does anyone find their way around here?_

Eventually Hitomi started opening doors at random, hoping for some indication of where she was in the palace. One of the rooms she entered was the palace library, which was filled with shelves of old dusty books that probably hadn't been disturbed in ages.

Forgetting her task, she went inside, dragging her fingertips along the books' spines as she wandered through the rows. They looked so old and delicate. Part of her wanted to pick them up and flip through them, but some of the tomes looked like they would fall apart at a touch.

A tall book bound in gray leather lying lopsided at the end of one shelf caught her attention, and she stopped to look at it. "'Alta . . . Kaeya . . . Mitsara'," she read aloud, figuring there was no one around for her to bother. "What a strange title. I wonder what it means."

"It's 'Study of Old Mythology' in Ancient Asturian."

Hitomi jumped and turned around. She wasn't alone after all. Seated at a table in the center of the room was the former Strategos of Zaibach, Folken Fanel, who had taken sanctuary in Asturia to aid in the war against Zaibach. Papers and open books cluttered his workspace, and her entrance into the library had obviously interrupted him.

"Oh, thank you," she said, feeling a vibrant blush rise to her cheeks. "You wouldn't happen to know how to get to the servants' quarters from here, would you?"

He shook his head and gave her a small smile before returning to his work.

"Sorry to bother you," Hitomi apologized with a low bow as she backed out of the library into the hall. Her cheeks were burning with embarrassment as she turned and hurried away.

Some time later, she met a nervous-looking maid carrying a basket of mending through the hall. As soon as she saw Hitomi and the clothes in her arms, the maid offered to take them and wash them.

Hitomi gave them up, but as the maid hurried off, she wondered why the woman was so quick to do this task for Hitomi when she was already busy. As she thought about it, Hitomi remembered how other people she met seemed to go out of their way to do things for her, even when she didn't ask.

Her wandering brought her through several crowded hallways filled with people coming in at the end of the day. They passed her quickly, saying nothing, but watched her out of the corners of their eyes until she was out of sight. _They're trying not to piss me off by avoiding me,_ Hitomi said bitterly to herself.

Feeling frustrated, she picked up her pace. She was still in an unfamiliar part of the palace, which was probably a long way off from where she wanted to be, back in her room. But hopefully her feet would take her somewhere--anywhere--that she could be alone.

"Did you hear about Cesario?" she heard someone saying behind her. "There's a rumor going around that they're going to join the alliance after all."

"Really?" Another person joined the conversation. "I thought they just wanted to stay out of this whole war. Do you think Egzardia will join now that Cesario has?"

"It's hard to say."

Hitomi turned down a quiet corridor and exited through a door at the end to escape the murmuring voices. She found herself outside in a small round courtyard, no larger than half the library, enclosed on all sides by the palace's decorative walls and columns. In the center was a circular fountain gushing water into the air, and above it, the sun had begun to set. Its rays bled into the sky and stained it red--red like the blood of all those who died on Millerna's wedding day.

_No!_ Hitomi scolded herself. _I'm not going to think about that anymore!_ She bit her lip and started jogging around the fountain to distract herself. Her pace started out easy, but she sped up as her mind failed to uphold the reprimand, and her thoughts returned to berating her.

Soon her heart was pounding, and each breath she took burned in her lungs. Hitomi flew around the fountain at her fastest speed, pushing her body far past its limits as if to punish herself for everything that had happened. She was oblivious to everything around her, even the fact that the sun had set and pale twilight covered the courtyard. She didn't stop until her body hurt too much to even breathe.

Hitomi collapsed with her hands against her knees, panting heavily. As she looked up to take in the change in her surroundings, she caught sight of Folken standing in the shadows of one of the pillars, watching her with the slightest hint of a smile on his face. His sudden appearance startled her--she hadn't realized anyone had been watching her run.

"I found something I believe is yours," he said as he left the shadows and walked out toward her. He held out his left hand, palm up, and Hitomi saw her pendant glittering in it. "It was on the floor in the library. You must have dropped it earlier."

She picked up. She couldn't remember taking it off--it must have fallen. Sure enough, as she turned it over, Hitomi found the clasp was still together, but the chain was broken.

"Th-thank you," she whispered quietly, trying to choke back her tears. She could tell her gratitude didn't sound sincere.

_I can't believe this. How can it be broken?_ The pendant, an heirloom from her grandmother, who died several years earlier, was one of the only mementos Hitomi had left of her. It had strong sentimental value, and there probably wasn't a jeweler in Palas that could fix it, or anywhere on Gaea for that matter. It was too delicate a piece for the heavy craftsmanship of most Gaean jewelry.

_I'm so useless. I can't even take care of a stupid family heirloom . . ._

Praying her tears hadn't yet filled her eyes, Hitomi looked up at Folken and smiled. "Thank you for finding my pendant," she said. "It's very important to me." She hoped her words would convince him of her thanks, and that he would go about his way, but the contentment in his expression faded and concern took its place.

Hitomi turned and started walking away. She wasn't sure why, but suddenly it had become very important that Folken not see her crying. She didn't want to look like a helpless child in front of him, weeping over some stupid trinket.

"Hitomi?" asked Folken behind her. "Is something wrong?"

Hitomi shook her head. "No, I'm fine," she said without turning around. "It's just . . . I got . . ." The tears were coming too fast. She tried to wipe them away, but they made it difficult to talk, and the excuses dying in her throat were no help. "I just forgot . . . something . . ."

She tried to hurry away, but her shaking legs wouldn't comply, and she collapsed in a seat on the fountain's edge. Sobbing, Hitomi hid her face in her hands and didn't try to get up. She was blushing madly, but whether it was from her tears or Folken's presence, she didn't know, or care.

_"It's not good to keep your emotions hidden all the time," said Millerna. "If there's something wrong, sometimes it's best to let it out and tell someone about it."_

As she wept, Hitomi felt Folken sit down beside her, which she hadn't expected. She figured her sudden breakdown would make him uncomfortable, and drive him away in the interest of not getting involved, but for whatever reason, he stayed.

"What's bothering you?" he asked quietly.

Finally, Hitomi couldn't bear it anymore. She was so removed from everyone around her that they didn't even know what made her feel so bad. She was so sick of being alone. She was alone all the time, and only two people had tried to consol her were the two she least expected, Millerna and Folken.

Her heart heavy with despair, Hitomi turned to him. She didn't look up, nor did her tears slow, but she saw his arms were open, and fell into them and wept.

-x-X-x-X-x-

**TO BE CONTINUED . . .**

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	2. Chapter 1: Anywhere

**Disclaimer:** _Tenkuu no Escaflowne_ is property of Bandai and Sunrise, all rights reserved. I am in no way affiliated with these companies, or any legal proceedings concerning _Tenkuu no Escaflowne_. This story has been written purely out of enjoyment, and is not intended to make a profit, steal ideas, or offend anybody. Any similarities between my work and anyone else's is purely coincidental. "Anywhere" song lyrics are property ofEvanescence, all rights reserved.

-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-

**_"Anywhere"_--Chapter 1: Anywhere**

By The Last Princess of Hyrule

-x-X-x-X-x-

_"Dear my love, haven't you wanted to be with me?  
And dear my love, haven't you longed to be free?  
I can't keep pretending that I don't even know you,  
When at sweet night, you are my own, take my hand,  
We're leaving here tonight, there's no need to tell anyone,  
They'd only hold us down, so by the morning's light,  
We'll be halfway to anywhere, where love is more than just your name,  
I have dreamt of a place for you and I, no one knows who we are there,  
All I want is to give my life only to you, I've dreamt so long,  
I cannot dream anymore, let's run away, I'll take you there,  
We're leaving here tonight, there's no need to tell anyone,  
They'd only hold us down, so by the morning's light,  
We'll be halfway to anywhere, where no one needs a reason,  
Forget this life, come with me, don't look back--you're safe now,  
Unlock your heart, drop your guard, no one's left to stop you,  
Forget this life, come with me, don't look back-you're safe now,  
Unlock your heart, drop your guard, no one's left to stop you now,  
We're leaving here tonight, there's no need to tell anyone,  
They'd only hold us down, so by the morning's light,  
We'll be halfway to anywhere, where love is more than just your name . . ."_  
-Evanescence, "Anywhere"

-x-X-x-X-x-

The halls of the floating fortress _Delate_ were cold and empty, and Dilandau Albatou felt the same as he walked along them--cold, empty, and alone. He hated being alone. He couldn't explain exactly why, but for some reason he simply hated the memories of it. Or was it the lack of memories? If there wasn't anyone else around him, his memories somehow became scattered and inconsistent.

As he wandered the corridors, Dilandau tried to figure out what he had been doing before he started walking. He remembered the dank gray room he had left, with the drab metal furniture, and the cold, impersonal feeling it gave him. At one point he remembered a bottle of red wine and a glass brought to him, but he couldn't recall drinking any. Then ahead of him, Dilandau could hear two voices.

"All the maintenance work going on in the aerie is supposed to be done within the next couple hours," said one soldier.

"You can't be serious," replied the other. "We'll be in Rampant that soon?"

"According to the general."

"Shit. I don't think they'll have all the 'melefs done by then."

Dilandau decided to follow them, and found himself at the entrance to the hangar, nicknamed the aerie by the soldiers of the _Delate_, who liked to think of themselves as predators of the skies. He got a strange feeling of dejá vou as he entered. He couldn't remember being on the _Delate_ before, but the hangar's design looked strikingly familiar. Maybe the _Delate_ was a copy of the _Vione_ during concept stage, or something like that.

The hangar was full of activity. The fortress's mechanics were busy repairing thousands of guymelefs, checking the equipment and weaponry to be sure everything was in top form for the upcoming battle. The _Delate_ was on its way to a location on the Asturian coast where Alliance armies were said to be gathering. The soldiers on the fortress were in a frenzy to be ready, and Dilandau seemed to be the only person in the aerie without purpose or haste.

"If these damn things aren't all running in eighty-five minutes, we're all going to be seeing just how well those pilots can fly _without_ their machines," a scowling middle-aged man shouted at the mechanics as he and a group of younger soldiers hurried by. They passed Dilandau without even acknowledging his presence.

No one in the aerie paid any attention to him. On the _Vione_, the crew treated Dilandau with the utmost respect, but here, no one seemed to even notice his presence. He had lost his purpose in the Zaibach army--a failed ploy in a mass of military strategy soon to be forgotten completely.

So absorbed by his thoughts, Dilandau almost walked right past his own guymelef without noticing it. He stopped and stared at it. The Alseides had been well repaired from its last encounter with the Dragon. That day . . . Dilandau pushed the memory out of his mind. _Of all the things to remember, why does it always have to be that day?_ Those were some events he wouldn't mind forgetting.

There was no activity around his guymelef as Dilandau looked critically over the repairs. A new firing apparatus replaced the old damaged one, and the crushed parts of the frame had been enhanced with a more durable steel alloy. The flying mechanism had been repaired, and a new stealth cloak installed.

Dilandau leapt over the walkway rail into the open cockpit. Inside, a technician had been at work on the controls, which no longer showed any signs of strain of the last battle.

The cockpit closed with a quiet whoosh, and the locks holding the red guymelef in place released. The doors on the opposite end of the hangar were open where other guymelefs were going in and out on test flights. Dilandau followed some out, toggling the flight capacitors, and taking off straight into the night. No one followed.

-x-X-x-X-x-

Later that night when Hitomi was back inside the palace, she locked herself in room without eating or talking to anyone. The people who saw her come in thought this looked strange, considering Hitomi was not a characteristically moody person, but ignored it.

Sitting down on her bed, Hitomi pulled her pendant out of her pocket and turned it over in her palm. When she had finally managed to stop crying, Hitomi found herself telling Folken everything, though she wasn't fully conscious of the decision until she started talking. Why she told to tell him rather than anyone else remained a mystery, but for some reason, it just made her feel better.

Even now, Hitomi couldn't make sense of it. She had had no trouble telling Folken what was bothering her, yet she was reluctant to tell Allen that afternoon when she had the chance. Why was it so much easier to tell things to Folken than Allen? _I love Allen. When you love somebody, you're not supposed to be afraid to tell them anything._ She shook her head. Then why couldn't she do it?

Hitomi sighed and flopped back, dangling the pendant above her face. Folken had mended the broken chain in the courtyard. The repair was so precise it took her almost a minute to find it.

Folken had done a surprising job with it; Hitomi remembered watching incredulously as he worked. Even in the darkening twilight with the inhibition of his artificial right arm, he somehow managed a craftsmanship she hadn't thought possible from the best jeweler on Gaea. Maybe that was the answer--his right arm. Perhaps it was capable of the minuscule details a clumsy mortal hand would have struggled with.

Hitomi closed her hand around the stone, and rolled over onto her stomach so that she was facing the large bay windows and balcony annexed to her quarters. They gave her an excellent view of the harbor, and beyond that the ocean, its softly rolling waves splashed with moonlight. It was misleading in its beauty.

Beneath that peaceful surface were countless sunken ships and rotting carnage wreaked from eras of war, its most recent addition the wreck of the _Vione_. Somewhere within its submerged walls were the bodies of Naria and her sister. Hitomi closed her eyes, trying not to think of the silver cat-woman she had befriended. _They died because of another one of my stupid mistakes, just like everyone else._

How many more people would suffer from her bad judgment? How many more of her foolish mistakes would result in death? How many more times would her powers run amok and cause so much pain?

Hitomi folded her arms out in front of her and laid her head on them. For a long time she stayed like that, staring out at the ocean lost in thought.

She was so deep entranced that it took a moment for her to notice the timid knocking at her door. Hitomi got up and opened it. On the other side was the trembling maid who had offered to wash Hitomi's school uniform earlier that evening. It was clean and folded in her arms, and the girl held it out to Hitomi with her head slightly bowed.

"For you, my lady," she said, unable to hide the quiver in her voice. "Washed, as you requested. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

Hitomi took the clothes. "No, I'm fine, thank you," she replied, slightly taken aback by the maid's timid behavior, and closed the door without waiting for a reply. She walked back to her bed and sat down, starting at her clothes, the nervousness of the maid still etched in her mind.

_How long are people going to be so scared of me? _

What a frustrating vat of suffering the city of Palas had become. The same problems rolled over and over in her mind. Hitomi sighed. She couldn't pass five minutes anymore without something reminding her of them.

Trying to repress more thought on the topic, Hitomi distracted herself by changing into her clean clothes. Unfortunately, putting them on didn't make her feel better as she hoped.

She sighed and gazed out the window again. The Earth and its moon were still high in the sky above the harbor, but in perfect view from Hitomi's room. A sense of longing filled her at the sight of them. _I wish I could go back there._ For a moment, she wondered if there was anyone else on Gaea who wanted so much to live somewhere other than where they were. How lonely they must be. How lonely Hitomi was.

_Am I ever going to be able to go home, or am I going to be stuck on this miserable planet forever?_

"You shouldn't worry about it too much, my lady."

Hitomi whirled around. Leaning against the table was a young man around her age with yellowy-blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and a charming smile. He was dressed in a blue and black military uniform that looked familiar, but Hitomi couldn't place it.

"Who are you?" she asked. "How did you get in here?" Her eyes flickered toward the door, but it was still locked.

He straightened and bowed gracefully. "My name is Shesta. I'm afraid I don't know how I got here, but it wasn't through the door." He frowned. "One minute I was sleeping, the next I was here."

Shesta took a step away from the table, and the candlelight caught his face. That was when Hitomi noticed something strange about him. The candlelight didn't seem to cast any shadows on his figure--it filtered right through him.

Shesta noticed her studying him, and raised an eyebrow. "Is something wrong?"

Hitomi walked toward him slowly, her hand outstretched. She reached out to touch his cheek . . . and kept reaching. With a startled gasp, she drew back her hand. It had gone right through him.

"You're--you're not real," she stammered.

"Not in the way you're used to, my lady," he said in a voice that seemed almost sad.

"Are you . . . dead?" she asked timidly.

Shesta nodded.

Hitomi covered her mouth. How could this be possible? How could a dead soldier be in her bedroom? And most importantly, how could she actually be talking to him?

"I'm afraid I don't know that either."

Hitomi stopped. She hadn't spoken any of her thoughts. _Can he read my mind?_

"It seems so."

She shook her head, and sat down on the edge of the bed. "This is crazy," she said. It was just too weird hearing someone other than herself comment on her thoughts. "If you're dead, how can you be here? This has got to be a trick."

"I wish it were," he agreed. "That would at least make _some_ sense."

"Hmm . . ." Hitomi leaned her chin against her hand. "Where are you from?" She suddenly asked. Maybe his past could lend some clues toward finding out how and why he was there, though it was definitely a long shot.

"I was a soldier of Zaibach under Lord Dilandau," Shesta answered.

"Zaibach?" So that was where his uniform was familiar from.

"Yes." He sat down in a chair by the table and looked past her out the window.

_There was ruin and burning wreckage everywhere. Shesta watched as another of his comrades fell, the Dragon ripping through the guymelef's armor with its razor sword. Now there were only two of them left. How was the Dragon seeing through their stealth cloaks? It was impossible. _

Suddenly the Dragon turned, and Shesta knew it had spotted him. He didn't even have a chance to move as it drove at him. He felt the sword bite through his armor. No! He couldn't die like this! He had to protect Lord Dilandau. The last thing he saw before everything went black was the final guymelef fall.

Hitomi lurched sickeningly out of the vision and back into consciousness. This pilot was one of the ones Van had killed several weeks ago, when he himself almost died, one of the Dragonslayers that served Lord Dilandau.

Dilandau. Hitomi remembered him too well--his pale skin, his silver hair, his haunting, bloodthirsty red eyes. He was the one who had been trying so hard to kill Van since she arrived on Gaea, and for no reason other than his own bloodlust.

"Lord Dilandau isn't as bad a person like you think, my lady." Shesta's gaze met Hitomi's. "He isn't anything like you think."

"No, I suppose not." She paused for a moment, then asked, "Where did you go? After you died, I mean."

"I'm not sure," said Shesta. "I remember walking somewhere, but I don't know where. Everything was foggy and confusing, and I couldn't think clearly . . . anyway, I must have gotten where I was going, because I went to sleep, and the next thing I saw was you."

_That makes no sense,_ Hitomi thought with a sigh. _This is going nowhere._ She knew whom she was dealing with now, but she still had too many more questions. She was starting to get tired of dealing with people like Shesta, who wouldn't give her straight answers. Why did everything have to be so cryptic and confusing?

They sat in silence for a long time, both of them thinking. Communication between the living and the dead--it broke every rule of nature Hitomi knew. Without those rules, there was no way to explain the unnatural phenomenon. It was simply magic.

A cold breeze made Hitomi shiver, and she looked up. The chair Shesta had been sitting in was empty. "Shesta?" She got up.

There was no answer. She was alone in her room again. Shesta had vanished as mysteriously as he had appeared.

Hitomi put a hand to her head, trying to shake the confused thoughts from it. The whole idea was mad; that the soul of a dead Zaibach guymelef pilot could have been in her room, and that she had a conversation with him. Just the thought of it was absurd. Hitomi rubbed her temples. _I swear I'm going crazy. All this fortune telling is starting to go to my head._

She noticed her track clothes in a pile on the floor, and picked them up. Her pendant fell out from under them. As Hitomi stuffed them in her bag, she sat on her bed, and noticed that the red stone was glowing.

She bent over and grabbed it. When she needed answers, the pendant always showed her to them. Figuring it had to work again, Hitomi held it out in front of her, and swung it. _What should I do?_ she asked it. Instead of swinging back and forth like a pendulum, the pendant froze, pointing toward the door, as if someone had tied a string to the stone and was pulling it from that direction.

The door. The message the necklace was giving her was simple, and unmistakable, one that had been lingering in the back of her mind for several days. _I should just leave Palas. If I go somewhere where no one knows me, then I won't be able to hurt anyone._ With Allen, Van, and the others around her all the time, she kept bringing undesirable futures into play. Their lives would be much better if she left. She had seen it in Van's eyes many times; she was just a burden to them.

_Maybe if I just left, everybody would be able to live peaceful lives, and I can find a way home. _

Inspired by this thought, Hitomi slung her duffle bag over her shoulder, unlocked the door, and let herself out into the silent corridor.

-x-X-x-X-x-

_"Dear my love,  
Haven't you wanted to be with me?  
And dear my love,  
Haven't you longed to be free . . . ?"_  
-Evanescence, "Anywhere"

-x-X-x-X-x-

**TO BE CONTINUED . . .**

-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-


	3. Chapter 2: Ready To Fall

**Disclaimer:** _Tenkuu no Escaflowne_ is property of Bandai and Sunrise, all rights reserved. I am in no way affiliated with these companies, or any legal proceedings concerning _Tenkuu no Escaflowne_. This story has been written purely out of enjoyment, and is not intended to make a profit, steal ideas, or offend anybody. Any similarities between my work and anyone else's is purely coincidental. "Ready To Fall" song lyrics are property ofMeredith Edwards, all rights reserved.

-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-

**_"Anywhere" --_ Chapter 2: Ready To Fall**

By The Last Princess of Hyrule

-x-X-x-X-x-

_"I get a feeling I can't explain,  
Whenever your eyes meet mine,  
My heart spins in circles,  
And I lose all space and time,  
And now that we're standing face to face,  
Something tells me it's gonna be okay . . ."_  
-Meredith Edwards, "Ready To Fall"

-x-X-x-X-x-

The cockpit of the red guymelef whooshed open, and Dilandau stumbled out, scowling and rubbing his neck.

"Damn thing," he muttered under his breath.

This landing had been one of his less graceful, which struck him as odd; Dilandau hadn't crashed a guymelef on a landing in a very long time. He was one of Zaibach's more prestigious pilots. The thought of faltering on a flight was hurtful to his pride.

"Lousy damn forest," he grumbled. "Can't find a decent place to land."

Dilandau looked around distastefully. _Where the hell am I?_ The thick forest he was standing in looked from the sky like it probably extended for leagues. _I have no idea what country I'm in anymore, much less how to get back to the _Delate_. I'll never figure out what direction I'd have to fly in with this mess._

He sighed, and sat down on one of the red guymelef's derelict limbs. _I guess I'll have to stay here overnight._ It was too dark to fly anymore, even if he knew where he was going. Dilandau couldn't read the stars like a map the way most travelers could, and he couldn't see them anyway. The only things he _could_ see through the dense foliage were Gaea's two moons directly above him.

Dilandau lay back with his arms folded behind his head, staring up at the sky. The Mystic Moon looked brighter than he remembered. Its marbled blue and white surface glowed alluringly. Suddenly, the image of the mysterious girl from the Mystic Moon jumped to his mind. _I wonder what life is like up there. Probably a lot better than down here._ A familiar old longing surfaced in Dilandau's mind, and he wished he could have a life there, or anywhere other than here.

-x-X-x-X-x-

Hitomi followed the pendant's direction through the palace, which was a slow and tedious process. Each time she came to a place where the hallways intersected, she had to stop to check the direction she should take. Eventually the pendant led her to the circular courtyard she had been running in earlier that evening. Hitomi swung it once more, and whispered, "All right, what way should I go now?"

It beat twice and stopped, pointing southeast. In that direction, Hitomi could see the sleeping outskirts of Palas nestled against a rolling mountain range covered in lush forest. She sighed. _It_ would _tell me to take the hardest direction._

It was at this time that Hitomi started to realize she hadn't thought this plan through very well. She didn't think to consider by what means she would travel once she was outside the city. It would be too difficult to make trek on foot, and hitching rides would be out of the question because she didn't want to be recognized. The only thing left to do was steal a horse.

Hitomi walked out into the courtyard, looking around. Where are the stables? she wondered. She was about to consult her pendant about their location when a familiar voice drove the idea from her mind.

"What are you doing out so late?"

She turned to see Folken sitting at the edge of the fountain. Was it the darkness playing tricks on her, or did he look amused to see her like this, looking so lost and confused?

"I'm . . . taking a walk," she lied, then added on second thought, "Why are you here?"

"I came out to enjoy the city." He stood, gesturing around him. "Palas is very beautiful at night."

The courtyard was bathed in moonlight from the two glowing moons above it. Thousands of glittering stars framed them from behind, each a brilliant diamond set in the darkest velvet sky. Hitomi couldn't help but admire it. She had to agree--Palas at night _was_ very beautiful.

"So, tell me the truth," said Folken. "You didn't come out here with your necklace and that bag just for a leisurely stroll, did you?"

Hitomi frowned. "What I do with my things and my time is none of your business."

"You're right, it isn't, but if you're leaving, let me offer you some advice: Stay off the main roads. Anyone who sees you in those clothes will become suspicious, and bring you right back here." He eyed her knowingly. "And I think I can safely assume you don't want to attract attention to yourself on this journey."

Hitomi looked away, ashamed for being snappish. "Thank you. I'll remember that."

"If you don't mind, can I ask where you plan to go?"

She turned back to him. Folken was standing in the center of the courtyard watching her, as if measuring his head her chances of success.

"No," she said, then suddenly changed her mind. "I mean, I don't know. I'm not sure where I'm going."

That feeling resurfaced, the comfort in his presence, the willingness to tell him what she was troubling her. What was it about him that made her feel like this? Folken's eyes were calm and patient as he waited for her to continue. Maybe it was his eyes. Hitomi could feel reassurance in them, somewhere beneath the layers of mask-like indifference.

"What will you do?"

"What?" Hitomi snapped out of her contemplative trance.

"When you figure out where you're going," Folken repeated. "What will you do when you get there?"

"I'm . . . not sure," she admitted.

"If I may, this doesn't sound like a very well thought-out plan."

"No, I guess not."

He was so polite when he talked to her, but not the same type politeness the citizens of Palas showed her. He was being respectful not to irritate her, not because he was afraid she might do something horrible, but because he simply didn't want to upset her.

Folken smiled slightly. "Perhaps the idea wasn't a good one in the first place."

She picked up on his hint--that she shouldn't leave at all. Hitomi shook her head. "No, I have to leave. I can't stay here anymore."

"Any particular reason?"

Hitomi pursed her lips. "Look around you. I have more reasons than anyone."

"More than I?"

Hitomi was startled by the sudden coldness in his words. Folken was no longer smiling--his face was contorted with a scowl. Somehow she knew, however, that he was angry with himself, not her. Suddenly she felt embarrassed again, like a child who said too much, and only later realized what effect her words had on people. For a long time they were silent, then, as she was turning to go, he spoke.

"The stables are this way," he said, and turned to lead her to them.

Hitomi looked back. He was already past the fountain, and almost across the other side of the courtyard when he looked to see if she was following. "Well, you are taking a horse, aren't you?"

"Yes," said Hitomi, and hurried to catch up with him. "Yes, I am."

"Have you ever ridden one before?"

"Well . . ." She hesitated. "Once or twice . . . I think . . ."

Folken sighed. "And you plan to travel around Gaea by yourself?"

"Yes. I have to go alone. I'll just end up hurting anyone I bring along."

"Then I'll go."

Hitomi stopped. "What?"

"You can't travel by yourself. You need someone."

Her temper flared. "You're just like Allen. I can look after myself. I don't need someone to take care of me."

"I wasn't suggesting that," said Folken patiently. "I only said you need a guide--someone who knows Gaea better than you."

"I'll be fine by myself."

Folken frowned, but before he could say anything, an idea came to his mind. He clasped his hands behind his back and smiled. "All right, then. Go ahead. I won't stop you."

Hitomi looked at him suspiciously for a minute, then turned away. She walked to the end of the courtyard, then stopped, and looked around. The stables were nowhere in sight, nor did she have any idea where to look for them. She turned back to Folken, realizing the point he was trying to make.

"Okay," she admitted. "I guess I can't do this alone. Will you help me?"

He smiled.

-x-X-x-X-x-

When they reached the stables, Hitomi was disappointed to find them well guarded. The odds of her being able to discreetly steal a horse in the first place had never been in her favor, and now they were much worse. Asking for one wasn't even an option. The former Strategos of Zaibach and the Girl from the Mystic Moon out in the middle of the night to go for a casual ride would raise more than a few questions.

Hitomi leaned back against the wall she was peering around. "Great, now what?"

"We'll find something else," said Folken, walking away up a dirt path leading in the opposite direction. Hitomi followed.

"_What_ else?" she asked, but he didn't answer.

For several minutes they walked in silence. During that time, Hitomi began to doubt her decision to let him accompany her. The silence as they traveled felt awkward; Folken was less social than she had originally thought. At first she wondered if it was just the company around him that he disliked, but it appeared to be part of his nature. And it was beginning to make Hitomi uncomfortable. She was just about to say something to break the silence when she noticed a familiar bend in the path.

"I know where we are," she stated, looking around.

To her left, on the upward slope of the hill, was a tall, quiet windmill with four motionless blades attached to a large open base. Shifting the weight of her bag, Hitomi pulled out her pendant, and held it in front of her. _I wonder . . ._ The stone swung back and forth several times before pointing to the windmill.

"I think we should go inside," she suggested skeptically to Folken, latching the pendant around her neck again. He followed her in.

As Hitomi expected, the windmill was abandoned. Its decrepit interior showed recent use by something or someone other than pigeons, and it was not hard to tell what it was, even in the dark night. There was only one thing lurking in the dark shadows of the windmill aside from the two of them: the silent, waiting form of a massive guymelef.

"Escaflowne . . ." said Folken in astonishment.

Hitomi frowned, pulling off her pendant again. "I don't get it," she said as she swung it. "This thing was supposed to tell us where to go. It always works." The pendant stopped, pointing directly to the Escaflowne. "Why isn't it working now?"

"Maybe it is." Folken walked slowly toward the white guymelef. "Maybe it's saying we should take Escaflowne."

Hitomi's eyebrows furrowed as she tied the pendant around her neck. "And how are we supposed to go about that?" she asked in a somewhat sarcastic tone. "It isn't like either of us can even open it, much less--"

Folken placed his hand on the red energist, and the cockpit flew open.

"--fly it . . ." Hitomi's comment died away in her amazement. "How'd you do that?"

"It opens to anyone with the right blood," he said as he climbed inside.

Hitomi wondered about the "right blood" for a moment as the Escaflowne stood, and left the shelter of the windmill. Then she remembered what was happening, and went out after it.

"Hey, wait a minute! What about me?" She ran up, and knocked on one of the metal legs with the flat of her hand. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Back up!" Folken called down to her.

For a moment she held her ground, staring up at the massive guymelef, then a loud hiss of air and a resonant clang above startled her. She relinquished her determination not to be left behind in favor of not to be crushed as the Escaflowne shuddered, and a cloud of dust rose up. The metal joints collapsed on themselves in a quick, automatic fashion, and as the dust settled, the guymelef stood over Hitomi in the form of a white dragon.

Folken, seated at the controls, scowled at her. "Did you really expect me to leave like that?" His tone was cold and accusing, and he glared at her for a moment. "Well?"

Hitomi hesitated.

"It would be better not to wait all night to go," he said. "So if you want to get out of here, come on."

Silently, she pulled herself up the Dragon's massive limbs to Folken. "I'm sorry," she murmured as she sat down behind him.

Folken pulled one of the cords, and the Dragon lifted into the air. "You might want to hold on," he advised, his tone a little more gentle, "or you could fall off."

Hitomi linked her arms around his waist. Folken pulled the cord on the left, and the Dragon banked left, spiraling steeply upward into the night sky.

Folken and Hitomi's flight passed in silence, but Hitomi was too distracted by her own thoughts to notice any awkwardness. Her mind wandered back to her meeting with Shesta, the golden haired Zaibach soldier with a vivid memory of his own death. It was a common conception that a person's last minutes of life were the ones they would remember clearest, but how did anyone know? Dead people couldn't come back to talk about it, and the living couldn't speak to the dead.

They were flying faster now. The air so high up was very cold, and it bit mercilessly at Hitomi's exposed skin. It reminded her of the haunted look she had seen behind Shesta's eyes. She shuddered.

Hitomi didn't doubt her ideas about life and death. The dead and the living didn't interact; it was as simple as that. The spirit of Shesta-or whatever it was-must have been a trick. _Maybe,_ Hitomi reasoned, _I just fell asleep and had a weird dream._ She could remember many occurrences at home when she'd had a dream she thought was real, but never anything quite like this.

The beautiful Asturian countryside rolled out beneath them, dark shadows of trees, hilltops, and tiny homes and villages. It was like a small model done in lifelike detail. If only it _were_ just lifelike, and not truly life. If only she were with Yukari looking at this model country in a store window. If only, if only . . .

Hitomi watched the stars still high above her in the dark sky drifting lazily past. She could swear she saw them moving, or maybe it was just the exhaustion taking over her mind. It was hard to keep from yawning every minute. _I can't fall asleep. Of all the things to do, that'd be the worst. It'd be a really painful fall back to Gaea. I can't let myself . . . fall . . . asleep . . . _

-x-X-x-X-x-

_"I can't keep pretending,  
That I don't even know you,  
When at sweet night,  
You are my own,  
Take my hand . . ."_  
-Evanescence, "Anywhere"

-x-X-x-X-x-

**TO BE CONTINUED . . .**

-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-


	4. Chapter 3: Away From Me

**Disclaimer:** _Tenkuu no Escaflowne_ is property of Bandai and Sunrise, all rights reserved. I am in no way affiliated with these companies, or any legal proceedings concerning _Tenkuu no Escaflowne_. This story has been written purely out of enjoyment, and is not intended to make a profit, steal ideas, or offend anybody. Any similarities between my work and anyone else's is purely coincidental. "Away From Me" song lyrics are property ofEvanescence, all rights reserved.

-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-

**_"Anywhere"_ - Chapter 3: Away From Me**

By The Last Princess of Hyrule

-x-X-x-X-x-

_"Crawling through this world,  
As disease flows through my veins,  
I look into myself,  
But my own heart has been changed,  
I can't go on like this,  
I loathe all I've become . . ."_  
-Evanescence, "Away From Me"

-x-X-x-X-x-

Much later that night, when the moons were long set and Hitomi was well away from Palas, Allen Schezar approached her vacant chambers. Carrying a tray with leftovers of that night's supper and followed by Princess Millerna, he knocked on the door. There was only silence from within.

"I don't think you should bother her right now," Millerna advised. "She's been feeling really bad since I saw her this morning."

"Maybe she'll feel better if she talks to me about it." Allen knocked again, louder this time. "Hitomi?"

There was still no answer.

"I really think you should just leave her alone for a little while," Millerna said again. "Sometimes having a lot of people hovering around you when you're depressed makes it worse."

_She's probably still mad at me about this afternoon,_ Allen thought resentfully to himself, ignoring Millerna's comment._ I shouldn't have snapped at her like that. I should have known she wouldn't have taken what I said very easily. But I had a good point._

Hitomi was far too valuable to be allowed to roam the countryside where she could easily be kidnapped by Zaibach. He couldn't let them take her away like they had taken Celena.

"Allen?" Millerna's voice startled him out of his reverie. "Did you hear what I said?"

"I'm sorry, Princess, I was thinking." He smiled. "What did you say?"

"I said 'let's wait a little while and come back later, after she's had some more time to collect herself'."

"All right." Allen followed her back toward the palace's common area, but couldn't help thinking he would never get a chance to talk to Hitomi.

-x-X-x-X-x-

Something tickled Hitomi's nose. She squinted her eyes and scrunched her nose in a lazy attempt to relieve it, but the tickling continued. Her eyes still closed, Hitomi reached up to scratch it, and immediately fell off balance. Her eyes snapped open, and her hands shot out to grab the nearest solid object to her, which happened to be Folken's waist.

"What--?" he started. Her sudden action startled him, and the Escaflowne banked sharply to the right.

Hitomi's mind gripped consciousness and she found herself still on the Dragon Escaflowne behind Folken very high up in the air--but not for much longer. They were spiraling in tight circles toward the ground coming up to meet them.

"We're going to crash!" she screamed.

Their sudden descent drove them into a thick forest, and they came to a crashing halt in a mess of leaves, branches, and a large cloud of dust. Hitomi was tossed into a heap of bushes and lay stunned for a moment. As the shock wore off, she struggled to her feet, coughing profusely.

Hitomi stumbled back to the Escaflowne and collapsed against it. Her head pounding and her stomach churning, she tried to look around in attempt to calm her torrential nerves. Dawn had broken while she slept, and the last rays of the sunrise were fading into blue sky. The forest they had landed in was full of tall green trees, and the ground carpeted with short, moss-like grass. There were birds and animals nestled in the branches, but the only evidence to their presence was their chirping and chattering.

Every inch of Hitomi's body felt like an iron nail had been driven through it, possibly because the bushes that broke her fall were full of thorns. After a few minutes, the world stopped spinning around her and Hitomi was able to stand without feeling dizzy. Suddenly, she caught sight of Folken, who had been thrown out across the front of the Escaflowne's armor, and ran to him. "Folken!"

He didn't show any signs hearing. For a moment, Hitomi feared he might be dead, but she immediately pushed the thought out of mind. She could see the rise and fall of his back, which meant he was breathing. If he was breathing, he wasn't dead, just unconscious. Gently, she pulled him down and propped him up against the side of the Dragon. With nothing else to do, Hitomi sat down beside Folken to wait. In minutes she was asleep.

-x-X-x-X-x-

/Hello?/

Dilandau squinted his eyes and pressed his hands to his ears. That voice wouldn't leave him alone. It hadn't left him alone since it had awakened him hours earlier. The voice was a woman's, and it would have been pleasant to listen to were it not for its redundancy and inability to stop talking for more than five minutes.

/Hello?/

_Shut up,_ Dilandau wished fervently.

/Please . . . someone help me./

_Shut up!_

/Hello? Is someone there? Please, help me!/

"Shut up!" he screamed.

Everything went silent. Even the twittering forest life quieted at his outburst. For a moment, Dilandau was absolutely still, hardly even breathing, straining to hear any sound. There was none.

A feeling of relief washed over him as he strode to the cockpit of his guymelef and leapt in. Finally there was blessed silence so he could concentrate.

The red guymelef had taken quite a beating in the previous night's crash. The right arm and firing unit had been shredded on impact, and the rest of the guymelef was hardly any better. _So much for enhanced alloy,_ Dilandau grumbled to himself as the cockpit latched closed with a clunk.

Slowly, the guymelef managed to stand, and a shower of debris rained to the ground in its wake. Dilandau still had no idea where he was, or how to return to the _Delate_. There was no way to get his bearings in this forest, so he decided to walk through it until he reached a town where he could find direction. He turned to what he guessed was north and started walking, leaving a trail of crushed bushes and broken branches behind him.

-x-X-x-X-x-

The first thing Folken noticed as he regained consciousness several hours later was that everything hurt. The hot sunlight beat down on him, making his head throb and not helping at all to ease the pain. Reluctantly, he opened his eyes and looked around.

The sunlight streamed down from directly overhead through an unnatural hole in the forest canopy, which the Escaflowne had made during its crash. Hitomi was curled up beside him asleep, her head leaning against her bag. On the ground a few feet away, a sparrow was pecking at the forest floor, looking for a meal. Folken whistled to it.

The bird perked up its head and looked around, and as Folken whistled again, it spotted him. Slowly, Folken started to whistle a sad old melody he knew by heart, and after a moment, the sparrow began to chirp with him. The two sounds made an oddly harmonious discord, and it was this that woke Hitomi. She stirred with a moan, and Folken closed his lips.

"Mmm . . . don't stop, I like that . . ." she murmured sleepily, rolling over. As she became more awake, she realized what she had said. Hitomi opened her eyes, saw Folken looking down at her, and blushed.

"Sorry," she apologized, sitting up. "I was just . . . I was having a dream, and your song . . ." Her blush deepened. Her scattered excuses were only making things worse. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," he said. "I don't mind."

Rubbing her cheeks with her hands, Hitomi looked up at his face, but it told her nothing of what he was thinking. She wasn't sure whether to be offended or relieved. For a moment, she considered asking what he meant by that statement, but asked instead, "How are you feeling?"

Folken grimaced and sighed, struggling to find a more comfortable sitting position. "I'll be all right." His movement startled the sparrow and it flew off into the trees. "Where are we?"

"I have no idea. I was hoping you might."

Folken shook his head. "No. The wind changed direction somewhere south of the Rang Caverns, so I followed it. I think we might be in the Floresta Mountains, but I really don't know. It's hard to tell by all the forests. They all look the same from overhead."

"Then how can anyone flying ever tell where they are?"

"All of the larger vessels, like merchant ships or floating fortresses, have coordinate maps in their logs plotted with the countries and most cities on Gaea," Folken explained. "Unfortunately, 'melefs don't have logs, not even Escaflowne, so pilots have to carry maps with them. I'm afraid I don't have one."

Hitomi's heart sank as she stood up. A map--one of the many things she hadn't planned for on this journey. "Neither do I."

"I suppose we'll have to keep flying until we find our way." Folken tried to stand, but the strain on his body was too much, and his legs collapsed beneath him.

"Folken!"

Somehow, Hitomi managed to catch him before he fell. Folken looked down at her in surprise, caught by her worried tone. Her face was full of concern. He wasn't quite sure how to react. Few people he knew were ever concerned for him, and they were all either dead or no longer cared--the sudden change was a surprise.

For a moment they stayed like that, entangled in each other's arms, and struck by the situation. But in the feeling of awkwardness that quickly followed, Folken left Hitomi's support and held the side of the Escaflowne instead.

"Are you sure you're all right?" Hitomi asked.

He nodded hurriedly, not noticing her blush as she turned away to get her bag. "Yes, I'll be fine." He tried to take a step, but the ground tipped out from beneath him, and he clutched the Escaflowne for support. Fortunately, Hitomi wasn't watching, and she didn't notice.

Shakily, Folken climbed up to the seat of the Dragon's cockpit. Hitomi looped her bag over her shoulder and followed, sitting a little way behind him. She remembered their unpleasant fall from the sky that morning and had no intention of doing anything that might cause a repeat incident.

"Where should we go?" Folken asked as he struggled with the control cords to get the Dragon ready for flight.

Hitomi took off her pendant and swung it. The stone pointed left and Hitomi indicated with her arm in that direction. "That way," she said. The energist gleamed, and with a crash of tree limbs and uprooted plant-life, the Escaflowne lifted into the air.

"Hold on!" Folken called back as he pulled the right hand cord, turning them southeast. Hitomi scooted up and reached around his waist, praying she'd gotten enough sleep earlier not to doze off this time. With breathtaking speed, the Escaflowne grazing the tops of the trees, they sped away into the wind.

-x-X-x-X-x-

Around the same time that afternoon, Dilandau was also flying, rushing at ungodly speeds over what he figured was Asturian wilderness. It was some kind of miracle that the flying apparatus on the red guymelef hadn't been damaged in the crash. He realized it worked after several hours becoming fed up by the slow pace of walking.

As the day slowly passed, Dilandau realized that he hadn't seen any towns or villages. Just lousy, miserable trees, and that wasn't even the worst of it. The annoying female voice he thought he'd gotten rid of had returned.

/Can anyone hear me?/ she continued to ask, as she had for the last hour. /Is anyone there?/

Dilandau sighed. This would have been far less annoying if he could see the person who was talking; then he'd have had no trouble shutting them up.

/Hello?/

But now he was beginning to wonder if it was really another person trying to talk to him, or something else entirely. The situation didn't make any sense. If the woman was real, she would have had to be following him, and he'd have known if anyone was.

/Hello?/

There was something strange about the way her voice sounded; it didn't sound like it was coming from outside. There was no other way to explain it, except that it sounded different, like the voice might actually be in his head. If that was the case, maybe there was a way he could talk to it. Slowly, Dilandau tried to focus his thoughts at the voice.

/./. . . Hello?/./

/Hello? Hello?! Is someone there?/ The voice sounded excited. She heard him.

/./Who . . . are you?/./asked Dilandau. It was a strange feeling to form thoughts like this. He felt like he was forming clay in his hands, molding it into a thought, and then smashing it in his palms to form another.

/Who are you?/

/./My . . . name is . . . Dilandau././ he said. /./Who are . . . you?/./

/I'm . . ./ She hesitated. /No one./

/./What is . . . your name?/./

/Nothing!/ Her tone was sharp.

Dilandau quickly lost his patience with the voice. He had a short temper to begin with, and the woman's annoying reluctance to even tell him her name was just as frustrating as her repetitive questions a minute ago.

/./I'm going to ask . . . one more time . . . What is your name?!/./

/I don't know!/

Dilandau groaned. /./How can you not . . . know your own name?/./

/I don't remember./

_By gods, this woman is hopeless!_ Dilandau clenched his fists in frustration and flew on, pushing the guymelef to faster speeds. A serene, grassy field spread out beneath him. If only his weapons were working; he had the deepest desire to torch the peaceful scene in his anger.

/Dilandau?/ asked the woman.

/./What?/./

/My name is Celena./

_"Celena!" someone called. "Celena!" A young boy with long, golden hair and innocent blue eyes came into view, smiling. "There you are! Let's go home, okay?" He held out a hand. _

The red guymelef lurched and dropped a few feet before Dilandau regained control. "What the hell . . . ?"

_The view followed the boy as he entered a tall white manor nestled against a grove of pale aspens, shading the front terrace with their heart-shaped leaves. A tall, graceful woman came appeared from another room, a length of embroidery in her hands. _

"Where have you two been all afternoon?" she asked with a smile.

"Picking flowers for you." The little boy grinned and held out a handful of wildflowers.

The woman smelled them delicately. "They're very beautiful. Let's put them in a vase, shall we?"

"Okay!" The boy followed her away and waved back. "Come on, Celena!"

"What's going on?!" Dilandau yelled. "What is all this?!"

/What's happening?/ asked Celena.

_"Celena! Celena!"_

"What the hell?! Leave me alone!"

/Dilandau?/

_"Celena!"_

"Stop it!"

The red guymelef spun out of control for the second time in two days, and crashed in an almighty heap into the field beneath. For Dilandau, everything went black.

-x-X-x-X-x-

_"We're leaving here tonight,  
There's no need to tell anyone,  
They'd only hold us down . . ."_  
-Evanescence, "Anywhere"

-x-X-x-X-x-

**TO BE CONTINUED . . .**

-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-


	5. Chapter 4: Behind Blue Eyes

**Disclaimer:** _Tenkuu no Escaflowne_ is property of Bandai and Sunrise, all rights reserved. I am in no way affiliated with these companies, or any legal proceedings concerning _Tenkuu no Escaflowne_. This story has been written purely out of enjoyment, and is not intended to make a profit, steal ideas, or offend anybody. Any similarities between my work and anyone else's is purely coincidental. "Behind Blue Eyes" song lyrics are property of Limp Bizkit, all rights reserved.

-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-

**_"Anywhere"_ -- Chapter 4: Behind Blue Eyes**

By The Last Princess of Hyrule

-x-X-x-X-x-

_"No one knows what it's like,  
To be mistreated,  
To be defeated,  
Behind blue eyes,  
No one knows how to say,  
That they're sorry,  
And don't worry,  
I'm not telling lies . . ."_  
-Limp Bizkit, "Behind Blue Eyes"

-x-X-x-X-x-

"Hitomi!" Folken called. "Look down there!" He pointed to the right.

The sun was setting on the left, and Hitomi had no trouble seeing the city spread out across the open land beneath them. They were far away from the forested Floresta Mountains, borne by an eastern wind current. Hitomi had consulted her pendant three times since they took off that afternoon, and each time it had indicated that they were traveling in the right direction.

"What is that?" she shouted, trying to carry her voice over the rushing air.

"It's Tenue, the capitol of Egzardia, I'm sure of it. See that palace?" He tried to show her where to look, but Hitomi had no trouble spotting it. From overhead, she saw that it was in the shape of a giant crescent moon, with a copper roof ablaze in the sunset. "It's the only one like it on all Gaea, and only found in Tenue. That's where we must be."

_What a strange looking place,_ Hitomi mused. She wondered for a moment what kind of bizarre architect would think to design a palace in the shape of a moon.

"Do you want to stop here?" Folken asked. He pulled the left cord a little, and the Escaflowne circled above Tenue in a wide loop.

Hitomi took off her pendant and swung it, holding the chain so tightly to keep it from blowing away that her knuckles turned white. The stone pointed against the rushing wind directly at the moon palace.

"Yes, let's go!" she yelled.

Folken banked sharper left, and the Dragon descended. This time, however, the gradual descent was not upsetting at all, and they landed gently in an upright position.

Hitomi grabbed her bag and leapt to the ground. They had landed near a dirt road a mile or so outside the city to avoid confrontation. A white, dragon-shaped guymelef was one of those things that made people look twice.

But where to hide such a huge guymelef? Hitomi looked around. Though there weren't any unusually large windmills outside Tenue like there were outside Palas, there _was_ a large barn. "Can you hide Escaflowne in there?" She pointed out the location to Folken.

He nodded in agreement. The Dragon returned to its original guymelef shape, and headed toward the barn. Hitomi ran after it. The barn was almost completely empty, save for a lot of straw and pigeon droppings--the perfect hiding place except for one thing.

Hitomi looked dubiously at the Escaflowne, then at the barn ceiling. "I don't think it's going to fit!" she yelled up to Folken. "The roof's too low!"

"It'll fit!" called Folken. The Escaflowne bent into a crouch, and Folken maneuvered it carefully inside. The guymelef fit perfectly into the barn, and Folken hadn't even dented the doorway. He climbed out of the cockpit and left the barn with a satisfied smirk.

Hitomi scowled gamely for a moment, but then remembered something. "Wait, shouldn't you take the energist out?"

Folken, who was already on the road, stopped and turned back to her. "Why?"

"If someone comes by and tries to steal Escaflowne, wouldn't it be better if the energist wasn't there to power it?"

"No one without the right blood will even be able to open Escaflowne, much less pilot it," Folken explained. "Van and I are the only ones left." Hitomi caught up with him, and they started walking down the road toward the city. "Even if Van knows Escaflowne is gone by now, he won't be searching for it in Egzardia. He'll think I took it to Zaibach."

"Isn't that bad?" asked Hitomi.

"Only if he tries to go to Zaibach to look for it."

"Will he?"

"I doubt it. Van may be hot-headed and rash sometimes, but he isn't _that_ stupid."

Hitomi bit her lip, her eyes traveling up the road to a small stone cottage that seemed to mark the outskirts of the city. "So, if no one can steal Escaflowne anyway, why should you have to hide it?"

"You don't want to attract attention, do you?"

"Oh. Good point."

For a couple minutes they walked in silence, until they reached the stone house. That was about when Hitomi noticed she was walking alone. She stopped and looked back. Folken was standing off the road in the house's shadow.

"Aren't you coming?" she asked, walking back to him feeling slightly confused.

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"If you want to remain unnoticed, it wouldn't be good for you to be seen with me," said Folken. "Zaibach has always been very involved with Egzardia, and I've been to Tenue several times to meet with King Ezara."

His gaze traveled from her to the road leading out behind her. "Besides, now that you're here, you shouldn't need my help anymore. Egzardia has very different ideas about fashion and dress than most of Gaea. You should have no trouble blending in, as long as you don't tell anyone who you are."

Hitomi frowned, and a little worry crease appeared on her forehead. The thought of being alone in a strange place was suddenly very frightening. It was a feeling she hadn't stopped to consider much on her way out of the palace the night before, but now it was quite disconcerting.

"What will you do then?" she asked. "If you don't come with me, I mean."

Folken shrugged. "I don't know exactly, but I'll find something."

_Find something, something to make him stay so I won't be alone._ The thought popped into Hitomi's mind before she realized it, but the more she thought about it, the better the idea sounded. She looked over her shoulder at the place where the road crested the hill leading down into the city sprawl. _Maybe what I'm looking for is somewhere in there._

"Wait right here," she said. "I'll be right back, I promise." Without waiting for his response, Hitomi turned and ran up the path into the city.

The first thing she noticed as she reached the top of the hill was that Tenue looked a lot like Palas. The streets were paved with snug-fitting stones, and lined on either side by shops and houses made of clean white plaster. Even here, so far outside the city's center, the streets were active, filled with merchants and stalls. Decorative flags, colorful awnings, and bright draperies covered everything in sight.

It was the people, however, that had the greatest impact on Hitomi. It wasn't so much the people themselves that shocked her, but their clothes. Walking into Tenue was like walking into a fashion exposé; there were so many people in so many strange styles. Men in colorful tunics and robes, women in men's trousers and short skirts like Hitomi's. They walked around without seeming to notice that what they wore wasn't seen anywhere else on Gaea.

As she got used to her surroundings, Hitomi started browsing through the stalls filled with everything from food, to herbs, to clothes, and even children's toys. She walked several feet past a stand stocked with traveling cloaks when it hit her.

_Wait . . . that's it!_ She pivoted around and hurried back.

"Welcome," called the stall owner, who was preoccupied with other customers and didn't turn around. "Try on whatever you like. I'll be with you in a minute."

Hitomi looked up at the cloaks, which were hanging in rows on several racks above her. There was a wide variety of styles, ranging from a simple traveler's cloak to an ostentatious red one, which was likely to be bought by a wealthy noble with no fashion sense. Hitomi picked through the cloaks with the expertise of a girl who had spent a lot of time in the clothing section of the Shibuya shopping district near her home.

When the other customers left, the merchant turned back to Hitomi, who was already holding a black cloak out at arm's reach to examine its length. He was a short, round-faced man who wore a hideous plumed hat, and as odd as it seemed, he had a knack for fashion.

"That's a fine one," he commented, "but it looks like it might be too big for you. Here, let me help you find a smaller size." He reached out to take the cloak, but Hitomi held it away.

"No, thank you, but I think I like this one."

"All right, then are you sure you want that color? I believe there's an earthen green in here somewhere that would look wonderful with those clothes you're wearing."

"No, I'll keep the black one." Suddenly conscious of her appearance, Hitomi looked down at her school uniform, then back at the merchant. "Is there something wrong with my clothes?" she asked, biting her lip. After what she'd seen, she had hoped they wouldn't stand out so much among the odd styles in Tenue.

"Oh no, no, no," he assured her, waving his hands in self-defense. "They're lovely. I've just never seen anything like them before. Where did you get them?"

"Uh, new style in Palas," Hitomi lied hastily, feeling her cheeks grow warm. "Very new.

"Ah," said the merchant. Hitomi could tell he was impressed. "So they've finally started to loosen their old conservative ways, huh?"

"Uh, yeah." She decided to change the subject. "So, how much for this?" She held the cloak up to the counter for the merchant to inspect.

"Normally I charge forty gidaru for something of that quality, but for you I'll make it thirty-five." He smiled.

"Why?"

"For telling me about your clothes. That was a very nice thing, it was. Most people hate it when I ask."

"No, no," said Hitomi. "But I don't think I have that much money." More to the point, she didn't have any money, save for a few hundred yen left in her bag from lunch at school one day, which did her no good. Even if she somehow figured out how many yen to the gidaru or vice versa, she would never be able to convince the stall owner to take the money without him becoming suspicious. And it had never occurred to her to ask Folken for money.

"If you don't have any money, I can't sell you that cloak," he said.

"Could I give you something else for it?" Hitomi asked, starting to feel desperate.

"Well, what do you have? I'm willing to trade, as long as you have something worth the price."

Hitomi unzipped her duffle bag and dumped its contents onto the counter. A mass of schoolbooks, class notes, and other junk spilled out. The merchant's eyes went wide.

"What _is_ all this?" he asked in astonishment.

"It's all I have. Please tell me if any of that is worth that," she said, indicating first to her junk, then at the cloak.

He started rummaging through her things. The merchant pushed aside the books and notes without notice, but examined her other belongings with interest. "What's this?" he asked, picking up her pager.

"It's, uh, a pager."

He gave her a confused look.

"You, um, you wear it," Hitomi tried to lie. "It's like a pendant. See, you loop a chain through this hole"--she pointed to the key ring--"and it's a necklace."

"What do all these buttons do?" He pressed one.

Immediately, the pager started beeping loudly, catching the attention of everyone within several feet of the stall. Hitomi swiped it out of his hands and turned it off before it caused a major commotion.

"What was that?"

"Umm . . . it's, uh . . . magic."

"Magic?"

"Yeah. If you press that button, it makes noise."

"What's the point?"

"It, ah, drives away evil spirits."

The merchant looked thoughtful. "Really? How useful."

Hitomi somehow managed not to sigh with relief.

"Well, I think those clothes there," he said, indicating her track uniform, "and this, ah, 'pager' are worth the cloak."

Hitomi felt a sudden pang of regret at thought of losing her uniform. "Isn't there something else you can take beside this?" She scooped her track clothes back toward her.

"You don't have much here," said the merchant. "These clothes are a mess, and they're hardly worth anything to begin with. A magic pendant that drives away spirits is useful, but you could probably buy a nicer one somewhere else for fifteen gidaru. I'm actually making you a good bargain."

Hitomi sighed. He was probably right. The next stand owner with the right cloak might not be willing to barter for her things. This was probably her best, not to mention only, chance to get what she needed.

"All right." She held out her hand. "It's a deal."

The merchant's face brightened as he took her hand and shook it enthusiastically. "Very nice doing business with you, my lady. Very nice indeed." He folded her track clothes, gently placing them and the pager behind the counter as Hitomi scooped the rest of her things back into her bag. "And a good evening to you."

Hitomi forced a smile as she picked up the cloak and left. She felt almost guilty about giving up her pager and clothes. They were some of the only things she had left to remind her of home. As she walked out of Tenue lost in melancholy memories, she didn't hear the rampant whispers around her.

"I hear the king finally signed an alliance with Asturia."

"This afternoon, I know."

"Does this mean we're going to war?"

"They say the prince plans to lead one of the armies to the battle front."

"He's so young. It must be devastating for the king."

"I'll pray for their safe return."

-x-X-x-X-x-

When Hitomi arrived back at the stone cottage at the edge of town, she found that Folken was still there, sitting in the shadows against the wall, his head bent forward. The sad thoughts vanished from her mind as she hurried over to him, finding when she reached him that he was asleep.

"Folken, wake up." Hitomi knelt down beside him.

"Mmm . . ." He stirred, slowly opening his eyes and focusing on her. "Hitomi . . ." he said incredulously. "What are you doing here?"

"I said I'd be back. Here." She handed him the cloak. "This is for you."

"What is it?" Folken stood up and unfolded it.

"It's so you can come with me," said Hitomi, getting to her feet. "If you still want to, that is."

He studied her for a minute. "How did you get this?"

"I bought it from a merchant in Tenue. I didn't have any money, so I traded him my pager and track clothes." Her eyebrows knitted together. "Why? Is something wrong with it?"

Folken swung it over his shoulders and fastened it in front. It was a perfect fit; she had gauged his size well. "It's Fanelian."

Hitomi was still puzzled. "What's so great about that?"

Folken pulled the hood over his head. "Can't you tell?"

"Tell what? Am I supposed to be seeing something special here? It just looks like a regular old cloak to me."

"If you met someone wearing this kind of cloak, you shouldn't be able to see who was truly beneath it--only what they wanted you to see."

Hitomi raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure it's working? I still see you."

Folken didn't answer.

Hitomi shrugged. "Well, it still disguises you enough so that no one will recognize you, so let's go."

Together, they followed the path into Tenue. Hitomi hummed an unfamiliar tune as she walked, looking much more relaxed, but Folken's thoughts filled with worry. A person with a Fanelian cloak could use its power to project a selected image from his mind to mask himself, causing everyone who saw him to see that image instead. Hitomi should have seen Van, the image Folken had been projecting, instead of himself.

Like all magical items, it had an exception: a person in tune with the wearer's heart could see through the masking image. _If Hitomi is . . ._ Folken pushed the thought out of his mind before it had fully formed. Hitomi couldn't be that person, because for him, such a person didn't exist.

-x-X-x-X-x-

_"So by the morning's light,  
We'll be halfway to anywhere,  
Where love is more than just your name . . ."_  
-Evanescence, "Anywhere"

-x-X-x-X-x-

**TO BE CONTINUED . . .**

-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-

**Notes:** Gidaru, according to the Escaflowne Compendium at , is what the currency of Gaea is called.


	6. Chapter 5: Meant To Live

**Disclaimer:** _Tenkuu no Escaflowne_ is property of Bandai and Sunrise, all rights reserved. I am in no way affiliated with these companies, or any legal proceedings concerning _Tenkuu no Escaflowne_. This story has been written purely out of enjoyment, and is not intended to make a profit, steal ideas, or offend anybody. Any similarities between my work and anyone else's is purely coincidental. "Meant To Live" song lyrics are property ofSwitchfoot, all rights reserved.

-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-

**_"Anywhere" --_ Chapter 5: Meant To Live**

By The Last Princess of Hyrule

-x-X-x-X-x-

_"Fumbling his confidence,  
And wondering why the world has passed him by,  
Hoping that he's meant for more than arguments,  
And failed attempts to fly,  
We were meant to live for so much more,  
Have we lost ourselves?  
Somewhere we live inside . . ."_  
-Switchfoot, "Meant To Live"

-x-X-x-X-x-

Out of the cockpit of the red guymelef climbed a body; a fair-haired, pale-skinned, slender body, which pulled herself from the wreckage on shaking limbs. She was a mess, covered with cuts and bruises all over, but somehow she was able to walk.

The grassy field spread out before her like a great shaggy rug, wind rippling through it as if it was water in a pond. Extending out along the horizon was the silhouette of a vast city, its buildings dark and foreboding.

-x-X-x-X-x-

_The sky was black with smoke and dark enough to be night, though Celena knew the sky was lighter behind her, and that it was actually daytime. The buildings in the city were dark and mysterious against the scorched sky. Everything was covered with black soot belched from the chimneys of factories rising into the murky sky. _

"Where are all the trees?" Celena asked aloud.

"Quiet!" snapped a man standing over her.

She and a group of other children her age were huddled together aboard a massive leviship speeding toward the center of the city flanked by a large group of soldiers. Each one was armed and in uniform, watching the children sternly and without pity.

"Where are we going?" asked one little boy.

"I'm scared," said another.

"I wanna go home!"

"Where's my mama?"

The quiet murmur of the children's frightened voices quickly became a dull roar, which only served to aggravate the guards further.

"Shut up!" they yelled. "You there, quiet down!"

Some of the children, who were not used to having such harsh words spoken to them, began to cry. But Celena didn't. "Where are all the trees?" she kept asking, her voice growing in urgency. "Where are all the trees?"

"I said shut up!"

The blunt end of a sword crashed upside her head, knocking her unconscious.

-x-X-x-X-x-

"Where are all the trees . . . ?" the fair-haired girl whispered, walking dazedly through the field toward the town. "Where are all the trees . . . ?"

-x-X-x-X-x-

"There."

Folken pointed to a two-story wood-and-plaster building wedged tightly between two others deep in the urban sprawl of Tenue. "It isn't the greatest as far as comfort, but it's small and relatively unknown."

Hitomi looked up at the inn, called the White-Winged Dragon. Tacked to the door was a notice asking men to enlist in the Egzardian army for the honor of the country and of all Gaea. The inn appeared to be in good condition from the outside, despite evidence that the building was fairly old, but it gave no clues as to what it would be like on the inside.

Folken saw her dubious expression and touched her shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry. It'll be fine."

They went in. The interior wasn't exactly what Hitomi expected. The inn was small, of course. The lobby, if you could call it that, fit only a desk to the left and a few potted plants and wooden chairs to the right. At the end of the room was a narrow staircase, and a hallway leading back behind it toward what Hitomi guessed were the kitchens. At the desk, the receptionist was asleep.

"Wait, I don't have any money," said Hitomi. "Do you think I'll be able to barter more of my stuff for a room?"

"You won't need to. Here." Folken held something out to her in his fist, and when Hitomi cupped her hands beneath it, he dropped a pile of coins. They were all copper, just a little larger than a bottle cap, with unfamiliar writing around the face. "Fifty-five gidaru. That should be enough."

She smiled. "Thanks."

As Hitomi walked up to the counter, she found herself feeling completely confident in what she was doing for the first time since she arrived on Gaea. It was a curious feeling, and one she didn't know the source of. There was no time for speculation on the thought, as when she reached the desk, the receptionist opened his eyes. "Yes, can I help you?" he asked in a bored monotone voice.

"I'd like two rooms, please."

"Sorry, only one left."

"How much?"

"Ten for the first night, and five more each one after that."

The price sounded like reasonable. "I'll take it." They would be able to stay for up to nine more days, which Hitomi hoped would be more than enough time to find a source of income and better residence. Taking the room key, she had a feeling that wouldn't be the case.

-x-X-x-X-x-

A piercing scream echoed across the open field, and a man fell to his knees, wailing in tormented pain. His limbs pinched together in excruciating ways, and his body felt consumed by raging fire. Everything was burning and spinning, burning and spinning, until, as quickly as it had began, the pain stopped.

Dilandau stayed on his knees for several minutes, his eyes wide with fear and his entire body shaking. His pale face had gone impossibly white and his mind was blank, utterly devoid of thought, save for his own resonant screams echoing again and again within it.

Slowly, he began to calm down and regain his senses. As he became fully conscious of the world around him, he found that he was out in an open field only five miles or so away from a large town. The sun had almost set behind the town, and storm clouds were rolling in from the north. On shaking legs, Dilandau stood up and headed toward the town.

After two miles, the clouds were directly overhead and a soft rain had started to fall, as if emphasizing the serene calm that had settled over him. But the whisper that wafted into his mind was like a jolt of lightening recalling the tension.

/ . . . Dilandau . . . /

_No,_ Dilandau prayed. _No, please, not again._

/Dilandau . . . /

_I don't want this to happen again . . ._

/Dilandau . . . /

/./Leave me alone././

Immediately after he spoke, he realized he shouldn't have acknowledged her.

/Dilandau! Oh, I'm so glad you're all right!/

/./Stop talking to me././

/I was so worried about you! What on Gaea happened?/

/./Nothing happened. Just leave me alone././

/Dilandau . . . ?/ Celena sounded hurt.

/./Listen. Ever since you started talking to me, nothing but bad things have been happening, and I'm sure you're the reason. I crashed, I'm lost, not to mention that freaky memory thing that happened. Just go away, and don't ever speak to me again././

/I can't./ said Celena in a small voice.

/./Why the hell not?/./

/Because I don't want to be alone, and neither do you./

They said nothing more as Dilandau walked into the town. He hardly noticed that it was Tenue, a place he had visited aboard the _Vione_ several times, or how odd he must have looked when he arrived, a Zaibach pilot traveling alone on foot. All of his thoughts were directed solely to the purpose of trying not to think about anything, in the case that Celena was reading his mind.

-x-X-x-X-x-

The first thing Hitomi noticed upon entering the room was that it stank to the Mystic Moon above. The air was stale and musty. A fine layer of dust covered everything in the room; from the single bed, to the two wooden chairs opposite it, to the small window looking out onto Tenue, and the door she had just entered.

"This is . . . quaint," she said. "It's not what I was expecting, but I think it'll be fine."

She threw her duffle bag on the bed as Folken came in and closed the door. It hit with a cloud of dust that made her sneeze.

"Bless you," he said automatically, looking at the window with a scowl.

Hitomi sat down on the bed, grimacing slightly. "Do you think maybe I should call housekeeping?"

"Housekeeping?"

"Never mind."

Folken unlocked the window, pushing it open, and a rush of clean, cool air wafted into the room.

Hitomi breathed in deeply. "Thank you, that's much nicer." She pushed her bag off the bed and pulled down the covers. "I think I'll shake these out, if you don't mind."

"No, go ahead." Folken stepped aside as Hitomi rolled one of the sheets around her arm. He looked around for a place to sit, but seeing that everything was covered in dust, decided to stay standing instead.

Hitomi hung the sheet out the window by one side and beat it against the wall of the inn, releasing monstrous clouds of dust into the air. Hanging above the rooftops outside were Gaea's two moons, which seemed to be ever-present in the sky. The Mystic Moon was as alluring as ever, and Hitomi couldn't help staring at it longingly as she shook out another blanket.

Folken noticed. "Do you miss your homeland?"

Hitomi turned to him. He was watching her intently, not studying her, or appraising her, or measuring her up in any way--just watching in the interest of her answer.

"Yeah," she said. "I miss it a lot." She turned back to the window and continued shaking the blanket.

"It must be hard," Folken went on, "to be away from your friends and family for so long."

Hitomi, who had fallen again into her own self-pity, failed to notice the sadness behind his words. "It is," she said. "I want to go back there someday."

"I hope your wish comes true." Folken sat down on the bed. "I hope your friends and family will still be waiting for you, and that they haven't stopped caring about you. I hope everything is the way it should be when you return."

As she heard these words, Hitomi felt the sentiment in them, and suddenly realized what two meanings Folken had given them. Her heart began to ache.

"Maybe," he offered, "if you wish hard enough, you'll succeed."

Hitomi pulled in the blanket from the window and turned back to him. Folken was no longer watching her, but looking down at his hands, both lying in his lap palms up. The left, with its cold tallow skin, was a reminder of everything he had lost in Fanelia, and the right, with its icy steel and rigid perfection, was a reminder of everything he had done to destroy that home. How was it that two such parallels could be part of the same person?

Somehow, he sensed her watching, and looked up from his melancholy trance smiling. "Tell me, what was it like on the Mystic Moon?"

"Well, it's a lot like Gaea," she said, gathering the bed sheets in her arms and piling them on the bed. Folken stood as she did this, and moved over to the open window again, leaning against the sill. "Except that the buildings are a lot taller and the technology is more advanced."

"How so?" he asked with interest.

"Well . . . here, I'll show you." Hitomi abandoned the bed making and picked up her bag, shaking out its contents into a pile on the lumpy mattress. From the mess she grabbed her CD player and held it out to him.

Folken took it. "What is it?" He turned it over in his hands and examined it.

"It's a CD player." Hitomi smiled smugly, and he gave her a look.

"It's a machine that plays music," she explained as she reached out and righted its position in his hands. "I suppose it's a lot like a mechanical minstrel. It plays these things called CDs." She opened the CD player and took out the CD. "All the music is on this disk. No music comes out if you don't have one of these inside." She put it back in.

"How does it work?"

Hitomi took his left hand and guided it to the 'play' button. "When you have a CD in, you press this button." He pressed it, and the CD player whirred as it turned on. With her other hand, Hitomi picked up the headphones. "And you hear the music through here." She turned up the volume so he could hear it.

"It's like magic."

"But it is science." Hitomi smiled. "In my world, there is no magic. Everything is explained by science."

"Everything?"

She nodded.

"Then how would you explain Gaea?"

Hitomi looked up at him. Folken's face was set with an expectant expression, the one she had seen just a few minutes before. It was not the desire that one of them be right and the other wrong, but a simple interest to hear what she said.

When she couldn't find an answer, Hitomi replied to him with not a look of defeat, but a confident smile. "I don't know," she said, her voice gentle and unthreatening.

But there was something Folken heard in the gentleness of her words that was not at all reassuring. Maybe it was the stuffiness of the room, or the heavy throbbing beat of the music, or the openness of Hitomi's startling green eyes, but there was something there, and he knew he couldn't stay in it any longer.

Dropping his gaze from her face, Folken handed her the CD player and backed away toward the door.

"Folken?" Hitomi's voice was filled with concern. _That concern . . ._ He had heard it before, and he knew all too well what awaited it. There was nothing to be gained by those who cared about him, only everything to be lost. Hitomi had left Asturia to keep herself from hurting the people she cared about and who cared about her. Folken had come to Asturia for the same reason.

Folken opened the door and stepped outside. Her concern was the same that he once felt from his mother and father, from Van, and Naria and Eriya. He had returned that love to all of them, and all had died but Van, who stopped caring and saved himself. If Hitomi started to care, and Folken let himself return her feelings, she was doomed to fall, just like everyone else. If he could keep Hitomi from falling, it would not be too much. Asking for anything more and then losing her would only leave him with another hurt that could never heal.

_I don't deserve anything more than just to keep her safe . . ._

"I'm sorry," he whispered inaudibly. "But I won't let this happen again to anyone." He closed the door.

On the other side, Folken leaned back slid down against the door, covering his face with his hands. For an inn with no vacancy, he was surprised to find that the hallway was empty and he was alone.

Alone. He was always alone, ever since the day so many years ago when he failed to slay the dragon and become king of Fanelia. His fate, and everything he had hoped for in his life, was altered that day, while every happiness he knew and could ever experience was lost. For all these years since, he no longer knew anything that would happen to him, anyone he would meet, or anywhere he would be, except alone.

At first, he had wished for a different life, that the unfair events that befell him would change favor, but his wishes never came true. Over time, suffering and misfortune became part of who he was, and he grew used to it. But there were still times when he caught himself wishing again, only to be disappointed by the results.

This time, as he sat alone in the night chill of the drafty inn, Folken found himself wishing again. Wishing for Hitomi, that her fate would be more kind, that her life--whether she could predict it or not--be free of sorrow and despair, and that her wishes would always come true.

_Maybe things could have . . . maybe we . . . I . . . no, never. I don't deserve to be that lucky._

For once in his life, Folken wanted more than anything before that this wish would come true.

-x-X-x-X-x-

_"I have dreamt of a place for you and I,  
No one knows who we are there,  
All I want is to give my life only to you . . ."_  
-Evanescence, "Anywhere"

-x-X-x-X-x-

**TO BE CONTINUED . . . **

-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-


	7. Chapter 6: Intuition

**Disclaimer:** _Tenkuu no Escaflowne_ is property of Bandai and Sunrise, all rights reserved. I am in no way affiliated with these companies, or any legal proceedings concerning _Tenkuu no Escaflowne_. This story has been written purely out of enjoyment, and is not intended to make a profit, steal ideas, or offend anybody. Any similarities between my work and anyone else's is purely coincidental. "Intuition" song lyrics are property ofDJ Encore, all rights reserved. 

-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-

**_"Anywhere"_ -- Chapter 6: Intuition**

By The Last Princess of Hyrule

-x-X-x-X-x-

_"Feels like my past is a page I turn,  
In the book of fate,  
I lived and I learned,  
I'm playing my own game now,  
I'm making rules, I won't pretend,  
When intuition conquers you,  
You will win in the end . . ."_  
-DJ Encore, "Intuition"

-x-X-x-X-x-

In her room at the Egzardian inn, Hitomi had made up the bed and sat cross-legged on top of it, her headphones wrapped around her ears and the music's volume up so loud it drowned out all other sound. This way, the music seemed to consume all of her, like the darkness that pressed in on all sides. The sun had set long ago and the storm clouds that had rolled in that evening blocked the moons and stars from sight. Hitomi hadn't bothered to light a candle or fire in the room. Everything was pitch black.

The music was dark as well, a fulfillment for a secret depressed side of Hitomi that not many people knew about. It was this side of her that controlled her taste in music, and it loved dark American rock. She downloaded it from the Internet onto CDs late at night in her room when she was all alone. No one seemed to approve of it, and it wasn't popular enough in stores, but she loved it all the same.

In her CD player now was a CD she finished only the night before she was taken to Gaea, a sad style of gothic rock that was perfect for when she felt depressed. Since her arrival on Gaea, she felt that a lot.

Hitomi uncrossed her legs and tucked them against her stomach, wrapping her arms around them and resting her chin on one knee. How bitter the entire situation was becoming. She went through all the trouble to get away from everyone she cared about so she wouldn't hurt them anymore, and yet she hurt someone else. Another person was suffering because of her stupid actions.

But Folken . . . there was something about him, something in the way she felt about him that was different from the others. It wasn't like the simple friendship she felt from Millerna, or the love she felt for Allen. It was more like being with Yukari . . . but different somehow. Hitomi felt Yukari's loyalty, trustworthiness, guidance, strength, and steadfastness when she was with Folken, but there was also something else--a sadness, a feeling so bleak it seemed like there would never be happiness again.

As the music played, Hitomi felt the same sadness inside her; so intense she wondered if there had _ever_ been a time when she was happy. She felt like she did back in Palas; sad, guilty, sick, and alone. The feelings weren't anything new, but it had been almost an entire day since she felt them, but now they consumed her entire mind.

Hitomi sighed and drew her fingers through her hair. _Why am I thinking about this?_ Thinking and analyzing the problem only guaranteed to make it worse, and in any case, it was selfish to always be thinking about herself. _There are more important people to worry about than me._

"Like who?"

The voice came out of nowhere sounding both close and far away at the same time, somehow loud enough for Hitomi to hear it over her music. The voice was one she didn't fully recognize, but it left her with a feeling of dejá vu, as if she had heard it before somewhere.

"Who's there?" Hitomi called into the darkness, pulling off her headphones and draping them around her neck.

The owner of the voice, whom Hitomi could tell was female, snorted. "Hmph. I know our meeting was pretty slight, Hitomi, but I remember you well enough."

The recognition struck Hitomi. "Naria?"

Behind her, framed by an evanesce glow, was a silver cat-woman with sleek, gleaming hair and piercing, icy blue eyes.

"So _you're_ the Girl from the Mystic Moon, are you?" A different effeminate voice sounded next to Hitomi. She turned and met two dazzling red eyes, their owner a cat-woman identical to Naria, save for the stunning golden sheen of her skin and hair.

"Yeah, I am," said Hitomi, only somewhat intimidated by her. "Who are you?"

"My sister, Eriya." Naria smirked. "Fancy seeing you in Death, Hitomi."

"Death?" Hitomi got up. "I'm not dead."

"Poor thing," Eriya whispered to Naria. "In denial."

"I'm not in denial. And I'm not dead!"

"Then what are you doing here in Death?" asked Naria.

"I'm not in Death. This is _my_ room." Hitomi felt around on the floor and grabbed her bag, pulling it onto the bed. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"Your room?" Naria and Eriya exchanged glances.

Hitomi grabbed a lighter from inside her bag and pulled it out. Flicking the wheel, a tiny flame sputtered into life, which shed little light around the room, but enough for Hitomi to find a few candles and light them. A soft glow illuminated the room, pushing back the darkness with a warm hand, but it could not remove the chill Hitomi felt around Naria and Eriya.

"How can you be here in Life when you're . . . dead?" Hitomi asked, letting the lighter die.

Eriya gave a noncommittal shrug. "That'd be nice to know, wouldn't it?"

"Probably the work of those meddling Sorcerers," said Naria in disgust.

"Sorcerers?" Hitomi looked confused.

"Dirty Zaibach scientists that get their orders directly from Emperor Dornkirk," Eriya explained bitterly. "They're always doing something to ruin someone's life."

"What do you mean?"

"Like a few years ago, for example. They kidnapped a whole bunch of children from all over Gaea and did horrible experiments on them." Naria's eyes narrowed. "They were trying to change the children's fates."

"Oh . . ." Hitomi's visage suddenly turned sad.

-x-X-x-X-x-

_In the dim light filtering through the wreckage under which they hid, Hitomi's eyes caught it glimmer off the metal of Folken's right arm. _

"You're just like Naria. Your bodies were changed." She didn't realize she'd made this observation aloud until he spoke.

"Naria? You . . . ?" Folken looked at her in surprise.

Hitomi crawled out from under the rubble and into the open air. "But Naria's dead," she said sadly. "Like all those people in Fanelia and Asturia."

Folken came out after her. "That is why we have to bring peace to Gaea," he said, straightening. "People thirst for blood-that's the fate of man that must be changed."

There was something defiant in his words that Hitomi didn't like.

"Dornkirk was wrong in his course of action, but not in his theories," Folken continued, more to himself than to Hitomi. "I will learn the laws of destiny and remake the world as I_ see fit, just like the people of Atlantis once did." _

His words troubled Hitomi deeply, almost as much as the dangerous, challenging intensity she saw in his eyes. During her meeting with Dornkirk, the emperor had expressed similar views. "War is a destiny of which humanity can never rid itself,"_ he had said. _"One should forge their_ own_ destiny, rather than be ruled by it."_ He made it clear that he planned it to be _he_ who ruled all of destiny. The thought of one person controlling others' lives like that was atrocious, and it made Hitomi shiver. _

"But that's not how changing fate is supposed to work," she said. "Is it, Folken?"

-x-X-x-X-x-

"No," Eriya frowned. "People aren't meant to mess with fate." Like Shesta, Naria and Eriya seemed to be able to hear Hitomi's thoughts and memories along with her spoken words.

"But you're already dead. Fate shouldn't be effecting you anymore, so how would altering fate have anything to do with you being here?" asked Hitomi.

"Everything!" Naria exclaimed. "Fate effects everything, dead or alive, and only a change in fate could have brought us here."

"That doesn't make any sense. What would the Zaibach Sorcerers have to gain from this?"

Naria and Eriya looked at each other, but neither had an answer.

Hitomi put a hand to her neck, her thumb and forefinger tracing the pendant's chain around her neck. "Maybe it isn't the Sorcerers," she suddenly said. She unclasped it and took it off. "Maybe it's something else."

The two cat-women's eyes caught sight of the jewel in her palm as it glittered in the candlelight. "That little thing can change fate?"

_Is there anything it_ can't_ do?_ Hitomi wondered. Since her arrival on Gaea, she had discovered that there was much more to the pendant than its ability to beat perfect time. It wouldn't be very surprising to discover it had another power it hadn't yet shown her.

Eriya poked the stone with a long, claw-like fingernail. "It's just a stupid necklace. How much power could it possibly hold?"

"Magical objects aren't supposed to look like they're magical," said Naria. She looked down at pendant with wild hope shining in her icy eyes. "I think I believe her."

Eriya looked skeptical, but made no argument.

"Hitomi," asked Naria suddenly. "Can you control that thing's magic?"

"Well, yeah." Hitomi dangled it by the chain in front of them. "Most of the time."

"Show us."

The request left her startled for a moment. "Umm . . . okay." Stiffening her arm, she closed her eyes and swung it.

_What am I supposed to show them? A reading? A vision? What?_ Hitomi thought rapidly, hoping not to stall too long in case Naria and Eriya started to question her ability. _Come on, tell me what I should do._ She hadn't thought about it for more than a few seconds when her mind had the answer. _Lead me to where Folken went._

Naria and Eriya stirred uneasily. Hitomi knew they had heard her thought, as well as all the ones before it.

The pendant beat only once before pointing to the door. "Follow me." Hitomi got off the bed and opened the door. As she stepped into the hall to ask the pendant for a new direction, the light filtering out of the room illuminated the contours of a shape sitting against the wall not a foot away from her. Folken. He was asleep.

Naria and Eriya looked out and saw him. "Lord Folken," they whispered. They looked from him to Hitomi, and she felt a slight tingle at the edge of her consciousness, the feeling of minds connecting. They were reading her thoughts, learning everything about the situation at hand by means Hitomi could not help, where she could not lie.

When they were finished, they knelt on opposite sides of Folken and looked up at Hitomi. Eriya's expression was calm, but Naria looked uneasy. "How do we know that it was really your pendant that found Lord Folken, and you didn't already know he was here?" she asked.

Before Hitomi could answer, Eriya cut in. "You're the one who believed she was telling the truth in the first place." She studied Hitomi thoroughly and smiled. "She's a lot like you, Sister. You both have the same dream . . ." The smile slowly faded. "But I don't know if she's realized it yet."

"Realized what?" Hitomi asked.

But Eriya didn't explain. She just went on, "But when you do, I hope your luck's a lot better than ours."

The two of them looked at Hitomi with matching expressions of thoughtfulness. "You know, you've got the power to make sense out of this whole messed-up world," said Naria. "But even with that, I don't think your heart is strong enough to do it right now."

"What do you mean?" Poor Hitomi was so confused. _Why does everyone have to talk in riddles?_

Naria smiled. "It'll all make sense soon, I'm sure." The smile became mischievous. "Just don't trip and fall or anything."

_What?_

"Since you brought us here," Eriya reasoned, "do you think you can send us back?"

_I don't think it _was_ me that brought them here . . . but I guess it would make sense._ It would explain her encounter with Shesta very well. Hitomi closed her eyes, part of her mind still doubtful, and tried to concentrate on the pendant's power. Being distracted, she didn't notice the two cat-women lean in and place two kisses softly on Folken's cheeks.

"Take care of her," Eriya whispered.

"And don't be afraid anymore," added Naria. "It'll all come out this time, I know it."

_Come on,_ Hitomi beseeched the pendant. Lines of concentration and mental strain appeared on her forehead. _If it was really me that summoned them, show me how to send them back._ A tiny spot of light appeared in the center of her mind. As she watched it with her mental eyes, the spot began to expand, the light growing brighter and brighter with a heavenly radiance. _That's it! I just have to visualize an afterlife and focus all my thoughts on it._

Her focus created an ethereal glow around Naria and Eriya, just like the one that had surrounded them when they first appeared. They didn't disappear with a crash of lightening, or a whirlwind of smoke, or an explosion of noise; they simply faded away, as if they had never existed.

Hitomi fell forward on her knees, breathing heavily. Little beads of perspiration had formed on her face and neck, product of her intense concentration, but despite the exhaustion, she felt a small spark of triumph. It was at that moment that she suddenly realized she had the power to call souls to and from Life. The knowledge was both frightening and exhilarating at the same time.

Her collapse woke Folken, and he stirred, opening his eyes slowly. At the sight of her, the peacefulness that had covered his visage as he slept vanished and was replaced by worry.

"Hitomi?" He got to his knees. "Are you all right?"

She looked up at him and smiled. "I . . . I did it. I sent them back."

"Who? What are you talking about?" Folken stood and held out a hand to help her up.

"Come inside. I'll tell you all about it."

-x-X-x-X-x-

The rain outside beat down in a steady rhythm atop Dilandau's head. He trudged along the soaking streets of Tenue in frustration, his hands clenched at his sides and his body tensed with aggravation. Each drop of water that struck his head practically sizzled. There wasn't an inn anywhere in the entire city with any vacancy, or even a willingness to let Dilandau stand inside for a few minutes to dry off. The situation had snapped his temper a long time ago, and his patience drained away like the rain off his face.

Every room in every inn was packed to the brim with soldiers. Word that Egzardia had entered the war against Zaibach was spreading quickly throughout the small country, and the chance to fight for their home attracted soldiers from all over. Dilandau could hear their brawling voices booming prowess and victory inside each inn he entered. He had little faith that more than a third of the soldiers would live for long once they arrived at the front. This war was shaping up to be a long, bloody one, and Dilandau was looking forward to it.

With as many soldiers as were inside the inns, there were none out in the streets. Even if there were, they probably wouldn't have recognized him. About the time he reached the city, Dilandau remembered that Zaibach had fallen out of terms with Egzardia, and the people probably wouldn't take kindly to an enemy soldier in their midst. Fortunately, one foolish merchant had abandoned his stall when the rain began, leaving Dilandau with a stock of free clothing to disguise himself in.

It was completely dark when he arrived at a small, derelict inn with no receptionist in its tiny waiting area. It had been only a last effort to find somewhere to sleep that wasn't under a scaffolding, and it was a stroke of pure luck that Dilandau entered the inn to find it the way it was. Quietly, he crept past the desk and up the stairs behind it.

Dilandau stopped short at the top. He could see the stairs led to a dimly lit hallway, and coming from it, he heard voices. Very familiar voices.

"Since you brought us here," said one, "do you think you can send us back?"

Dilandau peered carefully over the top of the last stair, and he couldn't believe what he saw. Standing at the end of the hall with her back to him was none other than the Girl from the Mystic Moon. In front of her were three seated shapes that he could not clearly distinguish, but resembled the Zaibach Strategos, Folken, and his two cat-women servants, Naria and Eriya.

As Dilandau watched, the Girl from the Mystic Moon held something out in front of her and paused. She stood perfectly still, and then the two cat-women disappeared. He rubbed his eyes with one hand and looked again. It wasn't just some trick with the light; they were actually gone.

The Girl from the Mystic Moon collapsed on her knees. He could hear her panting loudly as Folken spoke, and it was difficult to hear what he said over it.

"I . . ." said the Girl from the Mystic Moon between breaths. "I did it . . . I sent the back."

Folken helped her up. His response was inaudible again.

The Girl from the Mystic Moon went inside her room and Dilandau couldn't make out her next words either. Folken followed her in and closed the door.

Taking interest, Dilandau crept up the stairs and toward their door. There was something odd about that Girl from the Mystic Moon, and it wasn't just her origins. He had come face-to-face with her on several occasions. Each time their eyes met, Dilandau had the feeling that she was looking right past him into the depths of his soul. When she focused on him, her haunting eyes seemed to say she'd seen his deepest secrets, and was going to tell the next person she met.

Dilandau reached the door and stopped. He could hear the quiet murmur of voices on the other side, but it was difficult to tell what they said. Dilandau pressed his ear to the door and, praying no one would come down the hall to find him like this, the muffled voices became clear.

" . . . magic or something. I don't know," the Girl from the Mystic Moon was saying excitedly, "but I brought them out of Death and they were right here in this room with me. I could see them and hear them and talk to them and everything. It was just like they were alive."

"Slow down, Hitomi," said Folken. "You aren't making any sense. Just start from the beginning and take it slow."

The Girl from the Mystic Moon took a deep breath and began to explain. As Dilandau listened, he started to understand why Emperor Dornkirk was so interested in this girl. Her power, used correctly, had the potential to do great things. In the right hands, she was a great tool, and Dilandau was already plotting how to get her.

-x-X-x-X-x-

_"I dreamt so long,  
I cannot dream anymore,  
Let's run away,  
I'll take you there . . ."_  
-Evanescence, "Anywhere"

-x-X-x-X-x-

**TO BE CONTINUED . . .**

-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-


	8. Chapter 7: The Reason

**Disclaimer:** _Tenkuu no Escaflowne_ is property of Bandai and Sunrise, all rights reserved. I am in no way affiliated with these companies, or any legal proceedings concerning _Tenkuu no Escaflowne_. This story has been written purely out of enjoyment, and is not intended to make a profit, steal ideas, or offend anybody. Any similarities between my work and anyone else's is purely coincidental. "The Reason" song lyrics are property ofHoobastank, all rights reserved. 

-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-

**_"Anywhere"_ -- Chapter 7: The Reason**

By The Last Princess of Hyrule

-x-X-x-X-x-

_"I'm not a perfect person,  
I never meant to do those things to you,  
And so I have to say before I go,  
That I just want you to know,  
I found a reason for me,  
To change who I used to be,  
A reason to start over new,  
And the reason is you,  
I've found a reason to show,  
A side of me you didn't know,  
A reason for all that I do,  
And the reason is you . . ."_  
-Hoobastank, "The Reason"

-x-X-x-X-x-

Hitomi woke late in the morning a week and a half later to luxurious sunrays beaming through the open window, warming her face. Gradually, she opened her eyes and looked around with satisfaction. The room at the White-Winged Dragon was finally beginning to feel homely and pleasant. It was warm, comfortable, and most of all, clean.

Along with giving Hitomi free range of any cooking and cleaning supplies she could find, the innkeeper had provided her with a few more blankets to make up a second bed on the floor by the wall. Folken had offered to sleep there the first night and, for all Hitomi's insistence, could not be swayed to trade with her in any night that followed.

As she sat up, Hitomi noticed Folken had already risen and gone somewhere. She knew he was preparing to return to Asturia, though she wasn't sure when. They had never formally discussed it, but there was mutual understanding that he would have to leave someday once Hitomi was settled in Tenue.

The innkeeper offered Hitomi her room at the inn as a permanent lodging for a good price, and as a source of income, he gave her work. She cooked and cleaned with the other servants for decent wages. It was a good start until she could find something better.

All of this was settled four days ago, and Hitomi was starting to wonder why Folken still hadn't left. There was little preparation needed for returning to Asturia. He easily could at any time, and yet he lingered. It didn't bother Hitomi--she enjoyed having company--but she was curious what made him stay.

A sudden knock at the door brought Hitomi rudely from her musings, and with a frustrated groan, she got up. Yawning and rubbing her eyes, she opened the door.

Standing in the corridor was a woman Hitomi had never seen before. She looked to be in her early forties, with long, dark brown hair and hazel eyes. Her dress was made of fine-spun green linen, and Hitomi could tell by its style that the woman lived in comfort.

The woman dipped forward in a respectful bow. "I beg your pardon, but is this the home of the Lady Hitomi?"

"Yes, but she's not in," Hitomi lied automatically. She started to close the door, but the woman stuck a foot forcefully in the doorway and held it open.

"Please, I must speak to her," she said.

"I told you, the lady isn't in," Hitomi insisted.

"Could I perhaps wait inside for her? It _is_ urgent that I see her."

"She won't be back for a few hours." Hitomi pushed on the door, hoping it would send a message to the woman to move out of the way.

The woman ignored it. "I'm willing to wait."

Hitomi started to wonder if the woman actually _did_ have something important to tell her, but she didn't reveal herself. For some strange reason, people had been showing up unexpectedly at her door over the past nine days to ask Hitomi to bring their deceased loved ones back to life. One of the only ways to deter them was to lie that she wasn't really the Lady Hitomi.

It wasn't long before Hitomi lost her patience with the whole thing. Time and again, she told her visitors that she wouldn't resurrect anyone, not even for the bags of gidaru they offered her, but they persisted. Eventually Hitomi got so sick of dealing with them that she drew up a sign and hung it on her door, lying that, contrary to whatever anyone had heard, she did not have the power to resurrect the dead. Needless to say, it didn't work.

Actually, Hitomi was surprised that she needed to refuse anyone in the first place. Only she and Folken should have known about her power. She could tell by the expression on his face when the first person arrived that he hadn't told anyone. She guessed someone overheard them talking the night she learned about her power, and leaked the secret. However it started, a rumor of Hitomi's power was circulating Tenue, and it was attracting at least half the city to her door.

"What's this visit all about?" Hitomi asked the woman. "What do you want with Lady Hitomi?"

"I'm on an errand for the King. He would like to enlist the lady's help in a . . . personal matter."

Hitomi raised an eyebrow. "What kind of matter?"

The woman lowered her eyes respectfully. "I am not at liberty to disclose that information to anyone but the lady."

There was no arguing with the woman. Hitomi sighed. Her time in Asturia's royal court had taught her that when there was a message to be delivered, the messenger wouldn't breathe a word of it to anyone but the respected party.

"All right, you can come in." Mentally slapping herself for giving in, Hitomi opened the door wider and allowed the woman inside. The woman looked around the humble interior wonderingly, scrutinizing it as if the mystical Lady Hitomi might have been a fraud because her living quarters were less than grand.

Hitomi gestured toward a chair and the woman sat down stiffly. Hitomi crossed her arms and leaned against the windowsill.

"All right, I'm the Lady Hitomi," she confessed. "Tell me exactly what's going on."

As expected, the woman looked uncertain. "If you _are_ the lady, why didn't you tell me when you answered the door?"

Hitomi decided just to tell her the truth. It would probably make more sense than any excuse she could come up with anyway. "Did you miss the sign? I've had too many people around begging me to do things for them I don't want to do. They're easier to get rid of when they don't know it's actually me."

There was silence for a minute as the woman mulled over the idea. In the end, though she was still skeptical, she seemed to decide that Hitomi's story was plausible, and gave her the benefit of the doubt.

"As you may already know," the woman began, suddenly becoming even more formal, "our dear king recently lost his son to the battle of Rampant in Asturia."

Hitomi nodded. Every citizen in Egzardia knew about the death of the crown prince. It was impossible _not_ to know. A small military port on the Asturian bay a short distance from Palas was the location where the Alliance armies gathered in preparation for a planned surprise attack that would spur the beginning of the war. However, Zaibach somehow got wind of the plans, and decided to surprise the Allies with their own attack. Rampant was a massacre. The half-collected Alliance armies hadn't stood a chance, and most of the first battalions sent from Egzardia were slaughtered within the first hour.

"The grief has been most hard on him, and he seeks some way to be healed." Her speech sounded memorized, her acting horrible. Hitomi wasn't falling for it, but she listened anyway. "When we heard about your extraordinary talent to commune with the deceased, the King sent me to make you an offer. He will give you anything within reasonable bounds if you will use your power to help him be with his son again."

The woman's words left Hitomi with no sympathy. She had heard many versions of this same sob story from almost all of her previous visitors, who had come to her pleading for the lives of their loved ones lost in the battle of Rampant.

"I'm sorry," said Hitomi, trying to be polite though she felt like screaming at the woman in frustration. She wasn't going to use her new power for any reason, and risk the chance of it creating another disaster like Palas. "But I don't use my power for any selfish reasons."

"Surely," the woman protested, "reuniting the King and his son is not considered selfish?!"

"When you're dealing with fate, everything is selfish."

"But . . ." The woman's words became desperate. "How can it be interfering with fate if our dear prince was destined to succeed his father as King--but now cannot--and you put things right again?"

"Because the prince was destined to die. If he wasn't, he would have survived." Hitomi was so tired of the woman's stubborn persistence that she didn't bother to mask her blunt honesty.

The woman tried to argue, but all her "buts" and "surelies" could not sway Hitomi's decision. After twenty more minutes of pointless arguing, Hitomi forced the woman out of the room and locked the door. It gave Hitomi an excited feeling of independence to be able to force someone out of her home, like a college student experiencing success living on her own.

Hitomi sighed and flopped backward onto he bed. Judging by the sunbeams on the floor, it wasn't quite noon, signaling that it was almost time to help prepare the night's supper. Arguing with the King's messenger was very tiring, and Hitomi wanted nothing more than to take a nap, but work was work. Besides, how would she prove to Folken that she could take care of herself if she flaked in her first month of employment?

-x-X-x-X-x-

It was high noon, and the bustling Tenue marketplace was crowded. Folken could hardly move more than an inch in any direction without bumping into someone. Everywhere he looked, there seemed to be twenty new faces, all trying to move in the direction opposite him. There were other things he would rather have been doing than wading through a mass of stinky, disgusting human flesh.

With the use of the Fanelian cloak Hitomi had bought him and the image of a man he saw once in Palas, Folken traveled the city in complete anonymity. Everyone ignored him, but for the first time he could remember, Folken was glad to be alone.

There was something serene in his loneliness that was different from how it usually felt. It was as if the entire world could disappear, and he wouldn't miss it. It wasn't as much an unpleasant feeling as a hopeful one, one whose source and circumstance he didn't fully understand.

He came to a stall filled with manuscripts and stopped. There was already a sizable group of people crowded around to look at its wares, making it difficult for Folken to get a glimpse, but from what he could see, the stand wasn't promising. After spending several hours in the mess of people, Folken was fed up. If there was anything he missed about being Strategos of Zaibach, it was not having to deal with crowds.

He moved on. _Somewhere in this damned bazaar there has to be a place selling decent maps._

Though he was skeptical that Hitomi could take care of herself alone in Tenue, Folken had resolved for the fortieth time that morning to return to Asturia. For some reason though, making the decision to leave Tenue had been much harder than deciding to leave Zaibach. He didn't have any reason to stay, except to protect Hitomi.

It felt like a valid enough reason, but the thought remained ever present in his mind that he was not the right person to protect her. After all, every person he cared about, everyone he tried to shelter or help, ended up dead. It was as if he was cursed to be forsaken and alone, and with everything he had done in association with Zaibach, Folken knew he deserved it. His wings, like his confidence, were broken and tangled.

Even if Hitomi offered him to stay with her--and what chance was there of _that_?--Folken knew he could only decline before he had the chance to make her suffer. The only thing he could give her that wasn't pain or despair--and she would never ask him for anything anyway--was a suitable replacement guide, because anything else would have been a curse.

". . . wanderin' around like a bunch o' righ' fools, they are. Ne'er lookin' where they're goin'," the owner of a shabby, decrepit stall set up a little way off from the crowds muttered sourly to himself. "Ya be needin' a good map ta be gittin' through this 'ere mess."

A heap of neat, detailed maps stuck out against the grimy stall and its haggled, broken-down owner, and they caught Folken's attention. As he approached the stand, its owner gave him a toothless grin. The wizened old man obviously hadn't been decently clean for at least a month, and it appeared that he took much more pride in the stock of his business than anything else.

"Lookin' ta git un-lost there, fella?" he said in a thick outlander accent. "They're all real cheap, they are."

The maps looked to be of much finer craftsmanship than Folken figured the stall owner was capable of. They were dumped in an unorganized mess, which made any kind of browsing completely impossible. Sifting through them was easily the least practical way to find the specific map he was searching for.

"Is there a map of this region somewhere in here?" Folken asked the old man, gesturing at the pile.

"With wut on it?"

"A map would be nice."

The stall owner spat in the dust and glared at Folken. "All yas town folk 'ere take me ta be real fool stoopid, doncha? I know ya wanna map, but with wut countries?"

Folken remained indifferent to the old man's offense. "Everything that touches Asturia, as far north as Zaibach, south as Fried, and east as Daedalus."

The owner scooped up a heap of maps into his arms, and start sorting roughly through them. The maps were made of paper instead of something more durable like parchment, and Folken wondered how much of such handling they could take without falling apart.

"'Ere, I got 'un." He waved a yellowed map in Folken's face. "This's it."

Folken took the map and folded it open. It was exactly what he was looking for. The map showed eight entire countries, as well as parts of others, in surprising detail. It plotted at least five cities or villages in each country, as well as many roads, rivers, forests, and mountain ranges. "Perfect, I'll take it."

The idea of a sale cheered the old man considerably, and he smiled again. "Tha's forty gidaru, then. Wut a great deal yer getting'. Ya seein' the quality there?" He reached out and prodded the map with his callused index finger. "Tha's 'un 'igh-quality sonuvabitch map, there."

Folken sighed. "Thank you." A map of such high quality should have been worth more like one hundred gidaru, but he certainly wasn't about to point that out.

The stall owner beamed. "Ya got a deal, there!" With excited relish, he swept the other maps from the stall countertop and scattered them into an even larger mess. Beneath where they had lay, something sparkled that Folken hadn't seen at first. Light refracted in a tiny rainbow from the surface of a silver glimmering disk, identical to the one Hitomi had shown him a couple weeks ago. Folken picked it up.

"Ah, admirin' my other goods, eh?" asked the old man.

"Where did you get this?"

"Some fella traded it ta me long time ago." He waved his hand to emphasize the passing of a lot of time. "Real pretty, ain' it?"

Folken turned it over. On the other side were words engraved in elegant calligraphy. As he read the message, he felt some hidden meaning laced into the phrase that struck a resonant chord in his heart. The message somehow described the feelings he'd been struggling to explain since arriving in Tenue. They were the feelings that amassed his mind whenever he thought about Hitomi, or the day he would leave her.

"How much for this?" he asked before he even knew he was speaking.

"Tha's my nicest 'un, and I oughta ask a lot more than wut I'm gunna. But since yer buyin' the map 'n all, I'll letcha have it for . . . umm . . . fifteen."

"Done."

The gap-toothed grin stretched to an impossible width as Folken counted out the money and placed it on the counter. This was probably the first sale the creaky stall owner had made in a very long time, which would explain why he was so excited over it. The old man danced in a little triumphant circle as Folken took his purchases and left.

-x-X-x-X-x-

A quiet knock on her door woke Hitomi from a dreamless sleep under the sunburst orange and red light filtering through the window. She had been excused from serving duty that evening after falling asleep the second time filling pints with ale from the tap.

Hitomi groaned and rolled over, covering her head with a pillow. It was first time in all the months she'd been on Gaea that Hitomi had been asleep without having any weird prophetic dreams. It was a welcome change that she wanted to take advantage of as long as she could.

The knocking persisted. _If that's the King's stupid messenger again, I'm staying in bed. There's no way I'm wasting any more time arguing with that woman._ But the person at the door had little to do with the King of Egzardia.

"Hitomi?" called a voice from outside. "Are you there?"

"Folken!" Hitomi jumped of bed and swung open the door. "I'm so sorry," she said as she let him in. "I thought you might be this really annoying messenger from the King that I sent away earlier."

"You had a message from King Ezara?" Folken pulled the hood of the black cloak away from his face. "What about?"

"He wants me to bring his dead son back to life." Hitomi frowned distastefully. "I've got morals, and taking orders from some pretentious twit just because he thinks he deserves it more than everybody else is beneath them." She laughed at Folken's shocked expression at the treason she'd just spouted. "Don't worry, I'm not going to do anything stupid. I don't want you to think I'll get in trouble when you're gone."

"Yes, about that." He looked away, suddenly unable to meet her eyes. "I'm ready to leave."

The smile vanished from Hitomi's face. Her thoughts from that afternoon about if this day would ever come returned to her mind in sudden shock. She _knew_ Folken would return to Asturia, but somehow she never thought it would actually happen. It was always something in the future without a set date, something not fully comprehensible. Realizing that this was it, that she'd be all alone soon, sent a chill tingling down Hitomi's spine.

"When?" she asked quietly, all traces of her former boisterousness gone.

"In a few minutes," he replied, watching out the window away from her. "I've already been missing from Asturia too long. So have you."

Hitomi shook her head. "No way. I'm not going back there to cause more problems. Everyone's better off if I stay here. Even me."

"I didn't expect you to change your mind." Folken paused and brought out the map, looking down at it. "I still don't think you should stay here alone, so I bought this for you." He held out the map, his eyes downcast. Why did he have to face her in this situation? He felt the greatest sense of shame in her presence at that moment, as if he was abandoning her selfishly just to save himself. _I may as well be bribing her not to hate me for this . . ._

Hitomi rubbed the worn creases with her fingers as she gently unfolded it. Wrapped in the center of the map, like fragile tissue paper enfolding a gift, was the engraved disk. Hitomi picked it up. "What's this?"

"Just something I found in the bazaar. It reminded me of that 'CD' you showed me."

"Why?"

"I wanted to give you something--" Folken stopped himself before he went too far. _I just don't want to forget her._ "For no reason," he answered.

There was a pause, a quiet awkwardness that filled the room as its two occupants got a better grip on their emotions.

"So, I guess this is it," said Hitomi. Her eyes stayed on the CD for a moment, and then she looked up. "Goodbye then, Folken."

_We'll part strangers, and I'll let it go . . ._

"Goodbye, Hitomi," said Folken, looking for the first time into her eyes and wishing he hadn't. Her voice did well to hide her feelings of betrayal, but it couldn't mask it in her saddening gaze. "I hope you do well here."

No more words were spoken between them. One world, with its actions and consequences, ceased to exist in that moment, as Folken turned and left without glancing back. Hours later, Hitomi was still waiting for the new world to begin.

She stood at the center of the room for a moment, staring at the place where Folken had been. Her mind, with its havocked thoughts, was blank. Her eyes traveled back down to the CD, and she turned it over. On the reverse side was a phrase engraved in graceful, flowing calligraphy. As she read it, her eyes filled with tears.

"When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened to us."

-x-X-x-X-x-

_"We're leaving here tonight,  
There's no need to tell anyone,  
They'd only hold us down . . ."_  
-Evanescence, "Anywhere"

-x-X-x-X-x-

**TO BE CONTINUED . . .**

-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-


	9. Chapter 8: Tragic Kingdom

**Disclaimer:** _Tenkuu no Escaflowne_ is property of Bandai and Sunrise, all rights reserved. I am in no way affiliated with these companies, or any legal proceedings concerning _Tenkuu no Escaflowne_. This story has been written purely out of enjoyment, and is not intended to make a profit, steal ideas, or offend anybody. Any similarities between my work and anyone else's is purely coincidental. "Tragic Kingdom" song lyrics are property ofNo Doubt, all rights reserved. 

-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-

**_"Anywhere"_ -- Chapter 8: Tragic Kingdom**

By The Last Princess of Hyrule

-x-X-x-X-x-

_"They pay homage to a king,  
Whose dreams are buried,  
In their minds,  
His tears are frozen stiff,  
Icicles drip from his eyes,  
Welcome to the tragic kingdom . . ."_  
-No Doubt, "Tragic Kingdom"

-x-X-x-X-x-

A nervous-looking young soldier entered the state chamber at the palace in Asturia to a group of anxious people, and bowed to them on shaking legs. His superiors were scattered around the study-sized room, some seated in high-backed chairs, others standing, all looking impatient or worried.

It was evening, and little light came through the room's only windows, which faced east toward the Floresta Mountains, giving an excellent view of the colorful sky. Burning candelabras sparkled around the room, but though they shed plenty of light, the atmosphere remained gloomy.

"Well, what news do you have?" asked a man seated behind a vast oak desk. His dark brown hair was tied behind his head with a droopy light blue ribbon, and he leaned his cheek against his hand with a bored expression.

"Still nothing, sir," the soldier answered. "We've combed all over, even as far as the borders, but there's no sign of it. A small village in the Floresta mountain range noted an unusual amount of flying activity over their skies a few weeks ago, but it's most likely just communication flights from Castelo Fort."

The room was quiet for a while. The soldier shifted in a nervous manner. Finally the man behind the desk waved him away. "Thank you. Have the teams remain on standby, and we'll let you know your new orders in the morning."

The soldier snapped to attention, bowed, and left the room. The state chamber was quiet again.

"I told you it wouldn't be there," said Van, who was standing with his arms crossed and his back toward the window.

"You know something, Van? Sometimes it pays off to look at every aspect of something before you make judgment on it." Dryden's expression was filled with irritation.

Millerna tried to make peace. "It was a good idea, Dryden," she said from her seat by the fire, "to look for Escaflowne here in Asturia, but--"

"--it wasn't a logical one," Dryden finished. "Look, it doesn't matter. Van was right."

"The last place Folken would take Escaflowne is anywhere in Asturia," Van continued bitterly. "And the first place is Zaibach."

"How are you even so sure your brother is the one who took it?" Millerna asked. "Maybe their two disappearances were just a coincidence."

"Escaflowne couldn't just get up and walk away by itself. It needs a pilot."

"Could Hitomi have taken it?" suggested Allen, who was leaning against Dryden's desk watching out the window.

Van turned to him. "She wouldn't be able to."

"How do you know?" Allen's gaze stayed outside. "She has a lot of powers we don't understand. Maybe one of them is piloting Escaflowne."

"Still . . ." Van's expression softened a little at the thought, but he was still a long way from admitting he could be wrong. "I don't think she would just take Escaflowne and run off like this."

"It's definitely not like Hitomi," Millerna agreed, looking worried. "She would have asked first and told us exactly what was going on."

"Unless she was really mad and wanted to get away without anyone following her," Allen put in. His tone was melancholy.

The others caught only the first of the two meanings in his statement. "What would she be mad about?" asked Van.

Millerna's worried expression deepened. "I hope this isn't still about the wedding. I wish she wouldn't blame that on herself. It wasn't her fault."

"I told her there was nothing she could have done about it," said Dryden. "If she still feels bad, she shouldn't."

"What does that matter? It only matters that she's gone, and we need to find her," Van said, his voice full of blameful regret. "Her and Escaflowne."

"And we have no idea where to look," added Allen.

"Yes, we do!" Van insisted. "Folken's taken them to Zaibach! Why doesn't anyone believe me?!"

"Van, calm down," said Dryden. "You're getting too worked up over this. If you turn out to be right, rash decisions won't help Hitomi."

Van took a deep breath and expelled it in a sigh. "Does this mean you agree to search Zaibach?"

It was Dryden's turn to sigh. "Yes, but only a small, discreet operation. I don't think taking a large army of Alliance soldiers into Zaibach will do us any good at this stage in the war. It'd be best to slip in and out unnoticed."

"If Hitomi and Escaflowne are in the capitol, as they probably are, it's going to be impossible to get them out without anyone noticing," Allen pointed out. "When we were there, we escaped with half the Zaibach army on our tail and the other half alerted to our presence."

"So what do _you_ propose we do?" asked Dryden sarcastically. "Hell, we've listened to everyone else's ideas."

"Send a small group to scout out the location of Hitomi and Escaflowne. In the meantime, start gathering an army on the border. When the scouts report back with the situation, you'll have all the resources you need to make a good decision."

"That's good," said Dryden. "But what if Zaibach figures out what's going on and decides to try another sneak attack like they did at Rampant?"

Allen watched the two moons rising slowly above the mountain tops. "I'd make sure I was ready."

-x-X-x-X-x-

"But what if it failed?"

The King of Egzardia was stressed and worried, sitting slumped forward in his throne with his face buried in his hands. His attendants scurried around in a hectic mess trying to find any way to solve his problem, but no one could figure out how.

"Your Majesty?" A woman with hazel eyes dressed in green, the one the King had sent to visit the Lady Hitomi earlier in the day and came back a failure, entered the throne room. "There is a man is here to see you."

King Ezara didn't bother to look up. "Send him away. I'm not seeing anyone."

"Sire, it's the man who told you about the Lady Hitomi."

"Very well," he said with a tired sigh as he sat up. "Send him in."

Dilandau entered the throne room escorted by the woman in green. "Your Majesty," he addressed the King respectfully with a deep bow.

/Dilandau, I don't like this./

Celena, with her strong ability to differentiate between right and wrong--which Dilandau lacked--had taken an instant dislike to his plan to capture Hitomi. Dilandau expected she would, and never intended to tell her about it, but she found out the instant he thought it up. It was then that Dilandau realized it was impossible to hide anything from Celena. After all, she _was_ in his mind.

/./Shut up././

/This is wrong./

/./Shut up!/./

"Well," said King Ezara. "To what do I owe this unexpected visit?" They had had a very similar unplanned visit several days earlier when Dilandau arrived at the palace boasting a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the King to get his son back. Without his Zaibach uniform, the Egzardian monarch didn't recognize Dilandau, and held a conference with him without hesitation.

"I heard the Lady Hitomi refused your generous offer." Dilandau spoke with carefully practiced courtesy. "Very unfortunate."

/Don't you even try this, Dilandau./

/./Celena, if it bothers you that much, concentrate on something else././

"Yes, it was." Ezara glared at Dilandau. "Look here, it's been a trying day, and if you're only here for idle talk, I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to come back another time."

"No," Dilandau assured him. "I think you'll want to hear this."

/Don't!/

King Ezara watched Dilandau expectantly, his expression melting from weary sadness into interest.

"The Lady Hitomi's powers expand far beyond her ability to call souls from death," Dilandau began. "Didn't I tell you?"

"No, you failed to mention it at our last meeting." Ezara looked suspicious.

"Oh dear, it must have slipped my mind." Dilandau gave a pitiable expression, then went on. "Well, powerful sorceresses like the Lady Hitomi don't bend easily to authority. They're very strong-willed and mindful of their actions. If your request didn't sit well with the lady, _she would_ refuse."

"And she did."

"My point exactly."

"So, what do you propose I do?" asked King Ezara. The overtone of his words was calculating.

"I'm not quite sure. It all depends on how badly you want your son back . . ."

/Dilandau, I'm serious. This is a terrible idea! Someone is going to get hurt!/

/./Then that's their problem././

The King looked pensive.

"If I were in your place, Majesty," Dilandau continued, "I would try to find a new way to persuade her. When dealing with sorceresses, it's best to be a little . . . forceful."

"Are you suggesting I ride to her doorstep with a small army?"

Dilandau smiled. "It wouldn't hurt."

This assurance lightened the King's mood tremendously. Ezara never hesitated to use force to get what he wanted in the end. He regarded Dilandau with a fierce smile, the smile of a powerful man who was beginning to regain his former strength.

-x-X-x-X-x-

It was dark when Hitomi ate a late dinner alone in silence, looking and feeling very crestfallen. Only a few hours had passed since Folken left, and already the loneliness threatened to drive her out of her mind. All she could think about was how much it strangely hurt to see him go, and how she wished she could have found a way to make him stay. _I wish I could just forget the whole thing._

Hitomi ate quietly. It was silent not only in her room, but outside on the streets as well, which struck her as odd. In her experience, a thick, urban city like Tenue never slept; it only drifted between loud and louder periods of activity. But even her smallest movements seemed magnified past their normal volume. It was as if the city was holding its breath in anticipation of some event.

A sudden knock at the door seemed like an explosion, and Hitomi jumped. She stood up quickly, and placed a hand over her chest to slow her rapid heart as she opened the door. So there was another person alive in Tenue. For a fleeting second, Hitomi wondered who could possibly be paying her a visit at that time of night. Waiting in the hall was the King's messenger, the woman in green.

Hitomi's heart sank. "Can I help you?" she asked coldly. "I'm in the middle of something right now."

"This is important. His Royal Highness, the King of Egzardia, would like to speak with you."

"This couldn't wait until tomorrow? It's pretty late."

"No. You'll have to come with me now. He is waiting outside."

The woman's commanding tone was so different from her pleading that afternoon. It caught Hitomi off guard, and she found herself agreeing to accompany the woman before she knew it.

As they walked down the dimly lit corridor of the inn, Hitomi noticed that there was no light filtering out from under the other rooms. Her apprehension grew with each step. She was beginning to realize that the King's messenger was a much more capable person than she first thought. _I should have taken her offer while I had the chance. I've got a really bad feeling about this . . ._

They slipped out of the inn and onto the street to find it crowded on all sides with people. Some were soldiers in formation--probably the King's escort--but most of the people were average citizens attracted by the growing crowd. Everyone hoped to catch a glimpse of what was important enough to bring the King himself to the streets in the middle of the night.

King Ezara stood out in the open, flanked on both sides by two fully armored soldiers, their swords drawn. He wasn't anything like Hitomi was expecting--fat, bald, and remarkably similar to King Aston. Ezara looked like a great king in his prime whose grief had worn away his proud nature and left him a faltering, frail man. But in his eyes she could see strong determination; the fighter's spirit was not quite dead.

"My Lady Hitomi." King Ezara stepped toward her, and the chattering of the crowd immediately died away. "I assume you know why I'm here."

Hitomi bowed respectfully. "Yes, Your Majesty."

"I was hoping you might give me the honor of explaining in person why you refused my offer. I wish to understand better."

"I thought I was clear when I told your messenger," said Hitomi. "It is nothing against you, Your Majesty, but the request itself goes against my morals." Dealing with a king was very similar to dealing with the principal at school. As long as she acted with respect, and made sure she answered every question with what he wanted to hear, everything would go smoothly. The only difference was replacing every "sir" with "Your Majesty."

King Ezara frowned. "I was hoping that since you've had a chance to reconsider, you might have changed your mind."

If Hitomi had only followed this rule instead of listening to her heart, she would have been saved a lot of trouble. But she was stubborn when it came to her ideals, and even the authoritative figure standing over her could not make her go against them. "I have, Your Highness, but my answer remains the same."

"Perhaps, my lady, you don't fully understand how much my son means to me." Ezara, who was trying his hardest not to lose his temper, spoke through gritted teeth. "Without him here, it's as if a part of myself has been stolen away. I simply cannot go on without him."

"Your Majesty, I sympathize with your plight, but even for you, I won't interfere with the flow of fate."

The King took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. "I must ask you to reconsider. I do not wish to interfere with your judgment, and I don't want you to make a decision you'll later regret, so please . . ."

Hitomi looked around and warily took a step back toward the inn. The circle of soldiers that surrounded her and King Ezara was shrinking. "I don't think I understand," she said, trying to buy herself more time while she looked for a way to escape.

Ezara saw right through her ploy. "I won't let you refuse, my lady."

Hitomi tensed, and her heart began to pound as the soldiers closed in on her.

-x-X-x-X-x-

Stuck in the thick of the crowd outside the circle, Dilandau tried hopelessly to force his way to where the action was taking place. Unfortunately, everyone else seemed to have the same idea. There was a lot of pushing and shoving going on, with people jostling those around them left and right in a nonsensical pattern.

/./Damn it!/./ Dilandau swore. /./This isn't working././

/I told you this was a horrible idea, but you don't listen./

/./It'll be fine if I can just get to the girl././

/You'd better get to her! You got her into this mess, so get her out of it./

-x-X-x-X-x-

A soldier grabbed Hitomi's arm. "Hey, wait a minute!" she cried.

"I apologize for the use of violence on your delicate demeanor," said King Ezara. "But I can't lose this chance to get by son back."

"Let me go!" Hitomi yanked her arm out of the soldier's grip and spun back to the King. "You're crazy!"

Her outburst struck a nerve. "Seize her!" Ezara shouted.

All at once, the circle formation collapsed, and what looked like an army converged on Hitomi. She screamed and dove into the crowd without hesitation, hearing the soldiers crash into each other behind her.

-x-X-x-X-x-

/./Shit. I can't see a thing././

Suddenly, the crowd lunged forward, shoving Dilandau roughly into the person in front of him.

/./Damn!/./

/What's going on?/

A scream exploded over the noise of the crowd.

/./That was her! I know it!/./

Dilandau pushed at what could have passed for an opening between two people if he were a lot smaller, but he didn't fit and they wouldn't budge.

/What are you going to do?/

/./I don't know! If I could get through, I'd bother thinking of something!/./

-x-X-x-X-x-

Everywhere Hitomi ducked and dodged, hundreds of pairs of hands reached out for her. She could hear King Ezara ordering the crowd to grab her and bring her back, but she was much more nimble than most of the people around her and always managed to slip through their grasps. But no matter how far she went, in every direction there only seemed to be more and more people.

Unfortunately, there was only so long Hitomi could dodge before someone caught the back of her jacket and yanked her to a stop. The instant she wasn't moving, six more hands grabbed onto her.

"Let me go!" she screamed. "Let me go!"

"Stop struggling!" snarled someone beside her.

_Someone help me!_ she prayed, her breath coming in quick, frightened spurts. _Please, somebody help me!_

-x-X-x-X-x-

/Did you hear that?/

/./What?/./

/That voice. Didn't you hear her?/

Dilandau stopped. /./Don't tell me there's someone else in there with you!/./

/No, it's something else./

-x-X-x-X-x-

_Let me go!_ Hitomi screamed.

-x-X-x-X-x-

/There! Did you hear her?/

/./That's her! That's the Girl from the Mystic Moon!/./

/How is this possible?/

/./I don't know! Listen, do you think you can speak to her?/./

/Me? Why can't you--/

/./Just do it, okay?!/./

/All right . . ./ Celena sounded doubtful. /Girl from the Mystic Moon!/ she shouted.

-x-X-x-X-x-

A voice that wasn't her own exploded in Hitomi's mind, catching her off guard. She stopped struggling, and more arms tangled into the mess holding her captive. _What the hell . . . ?_

/Can you hear me? You've got to escape!/

There _was_ someone talking to her. _Who are you?_

/There's no time to explain!/

_You have to help me! I can't escape!_

/Use your magic!/

_What magic? I don't have any magic!_

People took hold of the people holding Hitomi, as if that would help restrain her. There were people everywhere. People with weapons, people with torches, people shouting, people screaming, people leering. People everywhere, and not one she wanted to see. _Someone get me out of here! Please! _

"Maybe," said Folken, "if you wish hard enough, you'll succeed."

His words snapped into Hitomi's mind without warning. She didn't try to think about what might have triggered them, but squinted her eyes and focused her thoughts. She had no idea what her wishes could possibly to do get her out of this futile situation, but anything was better than helpless struggling.

_Please, I want to be away from here! I wish I were _anywhere_ but here!_

Suddenly, the street exploded with a pillar of solid, brilliant light that shot down from the sky directly onto Hitomi. Her captors released her instantly, and the crowd pushed out, giving Hitomi and the pillar of light a wide berth. Enveloped by the light, she felt her body slowly rising, and kept her eyes shut tight so she couldn't see the astonished, fearful faces in the crowd. She didn't even open them to see the second pillar of light that descended a few feet away.

-x-X-x-X-x-

_"So by the morning's light,  
We'll be halfway to anywhere,  
Where no one needs a reason . . ."_  
-Evanescence, "Anywhere"

-x-X-x-X-x-

**TO BE CONTINUED . . .**

-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-


	10. Chapter 9: World On Fire

**Disclaimer:** _Tenkuu no Escaflowne_ is property of Bandai and Sunrise, all rights reserved. I am in no way affiliated with these companies, or any legal proceedings concerning _Tenkuu no Escaflowne_. This story has been written purely out of enjoyment, and is not intended to make a profit, steal ideas, or offend anybody. Any similarities between my work and anyone else's is purely coincidental. "World On Fire" song lyrics are property ofSarah McLachlan, all rights reserved. 

-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-

**_"Anywhere"_ -- Chapter 9: World On Fire**

By The Last Princess of Hyrule

-x-X-x-X-x-

_"Hearts break, hearts mend,  
Love still hurts,  
Visions clash, planes crash,  
Still there's talk of saving souls,  
Still the cold is closing in on us,  
Play on, play on . . ."_  
-Sarah McLachlan, "World On Fire"

-x-X-x-X-x-

_Hitomi shivered as she walked along a pathway swathed in mist, following a woman with clouded eyes and wild red hair who seemed too perfect to be real. The path twisted along the edge of a jagged cliff only a few feet from where the land ended abruptly and plunged into the churning black sea far below. On her right opposite the cliff, a dark forest filled with gloomy, foreboding trees rose up to touch the sky. _

This place was very old. Hitomi could somehow sense it, though she couldn't see more than a meter in front of her with the heavy fog and the darkness looming all around. She may as well have been as blind as her guide.

The woman walked confidently ahead, her footsteps causing little swirls of mist to rise up and settle back down as she moved. It reminded Hitomi a little of how she imagined the ascent to heaven, lifted up through the clouds of bitter mortality by a white-winged angel.

The woman, with her brilliant hair and roseate-hued skin, stood out against the aged landscape, like a bright red rose in a world locked in cold winter. "You must wait here," she said as she stopped.

Hitomi looked around, feeling as though she were standing in a sacred place not meant to be disturbed. "What's going to happen?"

"Your angel is coming," answered the roseate woman.

"What do you mean? Who?"

"'The human heart, at whatever age, opens only to the heart that opens in return.' That is an Earth saying, is it not?"

"It could be, but I've never heard it." Hitomi noticed she didn't refer to the Earth as the Mystic Moon like other Gaeans. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"I suppose it is not very well known," said the roseate with a shrug, the most human thing she had done since Hitomi met her. "In any case, you will have found yours by now."

"My what?"

"You haven't?" The roseate looked shocked. "That will not do at all. If you do not know, then you should not be here. This is a place for those from whom they have become separate. Then the one who is coming cannot be yours." She spoke rapidly in a quiet voice, and Hitomi could only understand half of what she said.

"What are you talking about? I don't understand what you mean."

The roseate ignored Hitomi's questions and looked worriedly over her shoulder farther up the path. She seemed to forget Hitomi's presence completely. "Then your angel . . . he is not . . . you have not found . . ." She shook her head as if to deny something. "Impossible. There are no mistakes. You must not have realized . . . yet . . . or will not . . ."

"Who?!" Hitomi demanded.

The roseate spun around to face Hitomi through a whirl of mist caused by her movement. She suddenly seemed otherworldly again. "You will have to go on from here alone. You must meet him."

"Who? How will I know where to find him?" asked Hitomi.

"You can go anywhere," said her guide, "but you will know where you want to be when you get there."

The fog thickened and enveloped the roseate. Hitomi called out to her, wanting to ask more, but her guide faded away, leaving Hitomi alone. She stood still for a moment, thinking about the roseate's last words, then slowly continued up the path in the direction the roseate said her angel would come from.

I must be dead,_ Hitomi suddenly realized,_ if I'm supposed to be looking for an angel. Maybe he'll lead me to heaven.

As she walked, Hitomi saw a figure take shape through the fog, coming toward her. When they were only a few feet away, she saw him look up, and as he recognized her, she noted the look of surprise that came to his face. It was probably the same one that came to hers.

"Hitomi?"

Suddenly the world shifted, and Hitomi was pulled from the action to somewhere in the sky where she became only an observer. On the ground, she saw herself, still on the path, suddenly dash forward and leap into his arms. "I can't believe this!" she heard herself crying. Her other self clung to the angel and began to weep. "I can't believe you're here! I can't believe it . . ." she whispered.

The angel wrapped his arms around her waist. "I said I would always be there to help you, and I will. I want to protect you." He kissed her cheek. "I love you."

What_ is _this?_ Hitomi saw her other self look up at him, and somehow knew what she saw in his face. He had gentle, caring eyes, eyes filled with warmth and compassion that seemed so unusual in his familiar face. _

"I love you too," her other self said. She reached up to stroke his cheek, but before her hand even touched him, the angel suddenly vanished in a shower of white sparks, and the world pitched into darkness . . .

-x-X-x-X-x-

Hitomi screamed herself out of her nightmare and back into the real world with loud, echoing shrieks. She gasped and jolted upright, breathing heavily as she clutched a shaky hand to slow the rapid pounding of her heart.

It took a minute for her consciousness to convince her that it was only a dream and to calm down. The vivid images, the feel of his arms around her and the touch of his lips on her cheek, were so real. Even though she saw it away from herself, somehow she had still felt it. Hitomi took a deep breath and exhaled shakily. The only thing she couldn't remember clearly from the dream was the angel--_her_ angel, the roseate had said--whose face was fading with her waking mind.

To distract herself from the dream, Hitomi stood up and looked around. As she did so, she remembered the previous night in Tenue, when a pillar of light came out of nowhere and took her out of danger.

The pillar of light had left her in a pile of white sandstone rubble, which bore distinct scorch marks. Several pieces of broken wooden posts lay on the ground beside her. Beneath where she slept was a tattered blanket stitched with bright shapes under the dirt and grime. It was a child's blanket, abandoned in haste in the ruin of a house.

Beyond the crumbling house, Hitomi could see an expanse of degenerating buildings--an entire ruined city--all of it blackened and broken from a brutal attack. Where she stood, she could tell it was a large city, though not as big as Tenue or Palas. It grew away from her in all directions like she was standing at its very center, and the sad gray remains seemed to melt into the ashen overcast sky.

"This is the capitol city of Fanelia. Or what's left of it."

Hitomi jumped and whirled around to face the person who seemed to have suddenly appeared out of nowhere. She met the piercing blue eyes of a young woman barely older than she, with short, pale-colored hair, dressed in a red Zaibach uniform.

"Are you the Girl from the Mystic Moon?" she asked immediately before Hitomi could speak. Her voice sounded strangely familiar, though Hitomi didn't think they had met.

"I'm no one," Hitomi answered automatically, wondering how the girl knew who she was. "Who's asking anyway?"

"My name is Celena. I'm looking for the Girl from the Mystic Moon."

Even her name sounded familiar, as if Hitomi had read it in a newspaper or heard it mentioned in gossip, leaving her with a very odd, removed sort of feeling reminiscent to dejá vu. Nevertheless, Hitomi kept up her guard. "What do you want with her?"

"I need to find her before someone else does."

"Who?"

"Dilandau Albatou."

Hitomi froze. Dilandau Albatou was the cold, merciless leader of the Dragonslayers, whose haunting face she knew from several encounters. He had a reputation for his cruelty she knew from stories circulating all across Gaea, and the rumor that he was searching for the fabled Girl from the Mystic Moon was ever prominent in them.

His pursuit for her was old news, but now that she was alone, Hitomi couldn't shake the feeling that she was unprotected and he was right beside her, instead of a different Zaibach soldier she might or might not know.

"He's after her power," Celena continued, "and he won't be stopped until he has it."

"What will you do if you find her?" asked Hitomi.

"I will use her power to fulfill the same purpose Dilandau seeks."

"And what's that?"

"I cannot remember."

Hitomi stared at her dumbfounded for a moment. "You can't remember?" she repeated.

"No."

"How can you not remember?"

"I can't."

Seeing the hopeless direction of their discussion, Hitomi changed subjects. "How did you get here?"

"I don't know."

"What do you mean 'you don't know'?"

"I don't remember."

"You don't remember?"

"No."

"Where were you before you came here?"

"I don't know."

"You don't remember?"

"No."

"Do you remember _anything_?"

"No."

There was definitely something odd about Celena. How could a person not remember anything at all? Unless it was some kind of mental illness, such a vast memory loss _had_ to be impossible. But lack of memory _would_ explain Celena's willingness to answer Hitomi's questions without hesitation.

_There's got to be more to Celena than she's telling me . . . or not telling me. Zaibach wouldn't let someone_ this_ mentally unstable wander around and spill all their secrets._

"Do you know anything about the Girl from the Mystic Moon?" asked Celena.

Hitomi shook her head. _Well, if she really_ doesn't_ know who I am, I'm certainly not going to tell her._

"Sorry, I can't help you." She waved and started walking away. "Good luck." As she had hoped, Celena didn't move. She simply watched as Hitomi walked away, her face blank like a subject in a wax museum.

-x-X-x-X-x-

/./You're letting her get away././ Dilandau pointed out.

/Who are you?/

/./Hello? I'm Dilandau. You know me././

/I don't know any Dilandau./

/./Come on, you were just talking about me././

/I don't know you./ Frustration filled her words.

/./What's wrong with you?/./

/Nothing./

/./This isn't still about the plan, is it?/./

/I don't know what you're talking about./

There was nothing else in her voice but irritation, and usually when Celena spoke in his mind, her words were a myriad of other feelings. Dilandau was starting to get worried. /./Celena? Are you okay?/./

/I don't know you. Stop talk to me./

/./Look, Celena, you'd better cut this out. I have no idea what's going on././

She didn't respond.

/./Come on, Celena. Are you mad? Don't be mad././

Silence.

/./Will you at least _talk_ to me?/./

Continuing silence. _She really has no idea what I'm saying . . ._ Dilandau realized. /./Well, shit if I'm just going to sit around and take this././

Though he wasn't sure exactly what was wrong with her, Dilandau reasoned that there had to be a way to get Celena to remember him. Somewhere in her mind, she knew him, but apparently, when the pillar of light picked them up in Tenue, that part had gone to sleep and moved out of her consciousness. Their situation was the same as it had been the day they arrived in Tenue, when Celena somehow walked with the use of her own body, and Dilandau was trapped somewhere in her mind.

He knew there _had_ to be a way to switch back that he didn't know about yet. Celena must have done it the last time, but if he couldn't tell Celena to undo . . . whatever she'd done, he was stuck. Dilandau shuddered at the thought of being stuck forever. He had to get free, and he wasn't going to think about anything else until he did--especially not the chance to capture the Girl from the Mystic Moon that had slipped through Celena's fingers.

-x-X-x-X-x-

The broken cobblestone street that Hitomi followed reminded her of Palas. She walked along at a meandering pace, not sure where she was going. She tried to keep her thoughts from going back to that day by kicking a scorched white rock in front of her. It was a smooth, half-moon shape missing a large chunk, and it rolled in a clunky, lopsided manner each time she kicked it. Of course, her mind wouldn't be deterred.

Everyone told Hitomi that she had descended from the Mystic Moon in order to save Gaea from the power of Atlantis, the ability to make the heart's desires real, but Hitomi wondered if her fate wasn't to destroy it completely. Death, destruction, and suffering followed her like a haunted shadow ever since she arrived. She tried so hard to use her power to benefit her friends, but all she managed was to make them suffer. She even ran off to Egzardia to keep them safe, but she just hurt someone else.

She sighed. Folken didn't deserve it. He didn't deserve to fall victim to her power; he'd been through more than enough already. _But it's not my fault he chose to come with me,_ Hitomi reasoned. Folken knew the reaches of her power. He knew exactly what he was getting into when he left Palas with her, what she was capable of doing to him. Anything that happened was his own fault.

"After all," she said aloud to the rock, "his coming with me completely defeats the purpose of trying to keep all my friends safe by staying away from them."

Hitomi stopped as she heard her words, and her rock tumbled off the street into a pile of debris. The thought surprised her--that she considered Folken a friend. Up until only a month ago, she knew him only as the Strategos of Zaibach, who stood at the source of the armies trying to capture her.

Their change in circumstances from enemies suddenly into allies was just as unexpected as the thought of friendship. Hitomi wasn't really sure what to make of it. On one hand, she remembered all the fear and havoc wreaked by Zaibach through Folken's plans, and how everyone assured her that he was purely evil. Then opposite that was everything she heard him say when they first met face-to-face in Fanelia, and everything she knew from her own experience.

But in that last week and a half, Hitomi discovered Folken wasn't anything she thought when they met. At first, he seemed closed-off and antisocial, showing no interest in the people around him and sometimes looking annoyed by them. That, Hitomi found, was far from true. In Tenue, when he was alone with Hitomi, Folken seemed completely different; he was relaxed, companionable, and even open.

That was something Hitomi took completely for granted in their time together. In her company, he spoke to her freely, but around anyone else, he carefully guarded his words and emotions. She never thought about it before, but now that he was gone, she seemed to be noticing all sorts of things like that.

A light rain started to fall from the clouds above her, which had grown a dark gray in the passing time. Hitomi forced her mind out of the pointless musings and back to the present. The matter of Celena still hung behind her, the ruins of Fanelia lay in front, and beyond them were the ashy remains of a burned forest. She had nowhere to go.

She still had her pendant, though--the object partially responsible for everything that happened to her. Hitomi unclasped it and held it out in front of her. It had taken her so far since her arrival on Gaea, and its powers could unravel the confusion. It had led her safely away from Asturia; perhaps it could do the same in Fanelia.

The words of the blind roseate woman from her dream suddenly sprung to mind. _"You can go anywhere," she said, "but you will know where you want to be when you get there."_ Hitomi closed her eyes. _Lead me there,_ she asked, swinging the pendant. _Lead me where I want to be._ It pointed right and she started off.

After half an hour of walking, Hitomi was no closer to anywhere than when she started. In fact, she was very much suspicious that she was walking in a big circle. She consulted the pendant for direction often, and every time it told her to take a right. In sheer frustration, Hitomi sank down on a broken stone bench and threw the pendant in the dust.

_I can't do this anymore! I just can't do anything right._

All of it--the destiny of Gaea, her unnatural powers--everything centered around her was just too much. Tears came to Hitomi eyes. She simply couldn't do it--save a world she didn't like filled with people she didn't understand and didn't understand her. The pendant's magic worked from the messages of her heart, and if her heart found no reason to preserve Gaea, then her power would destroy it.

_I don't care anymore,_ she declared. The gentle sprinkling of rain was falling faster now. As she lifted her face to the sky, the big drops splashed in her eyes and became indistinguishable among the tears. _Why do I always have to feel completely helpless like this? Why can't I do anything right? Why does all this stuff have to happen to me anyway? And why don't I care?_

Hitomi clasped her hands over temples and ran them through her hair, furrowing her brows in anguish. _Every time I think about all the stuff I've done, I feel really bad, but now, it just doesn't matter anymore. Everyone I care about ends up getting hurt anyway. I try to leave, but I just find someone new and hurt them. I'm such a horrible person. Maybe if I stop caring, then everything'll be better._

She looked back down at the pendant. The rain had turned the dust into dull gray mud. She pushed a soaking strand of hair out of her eyes. _I don't know what I'm doing anymore. I wish this would all just end._

Then the rain stopped, as if someone had someone had simply turned it off like water from a faucet. Hitomi looked up through her tears to the underside of a white Dragon wing. She stood. What was the Escaflowne doing here in Fanelia? Had Folken returned to Asturia already and Van come to find her? She walked out into the rain and looked up at the pilot's seat. The pilot wasn't Van.

_Folken . . .? Why?_

He climbed down. He was soaked with rain, his eyes narrowed and his hair drooping limp over his forehead. The dejected sight somehow made Hitomi sadder.

_Why do_ you_ always find me when I'm crying?_

"Hitomi," he started. "I saw the pillar of light fall on Tenue. I had a feeling it might bring you here."

Hitomi's tears came harder, as did the rain. It blanketed the city in a thick fog, and she could feel the world shrink until it only encompassed the two of them. "That isn't . . . that isn't possible. You left."

Folken looked down. "No, I didn't. I couldn't."

"Why didn't you come back before?"

He didn't answer.

Hitomi shook her head roughly as if to deny something, feeling her hair splatter against the sides of her face. "Why'd you even need to leave in the first place?" she demanded, suddenly angry.

"Because it was a mistake for me to stay so long," said Folken immediately, his response automatic. It was the one he had been telling himself every moment since he left the inn to justify his decision. "Any longer and . . ." He couldn't finish.

"And what? You'd find some other way to hurt me worse?" She looked up at him sharply through her tears. "What, are you trying to protect me from something?"

Folken was silent again.

Hitomi knew her words hurt enough, but she went on without hesitation. He had abandoned her, and she was going to make sure he felt every blameful, bitter pain that had struck her heart since he was gone. She didn't stop to think about the consequences.

"You know what? I already know. I've known for a long time. It's not hard to figure out when it's practically _written_ in everything you do. You think you can spare me a lot of pain just by going away and leaving me alone, like your presence is going to draw something bad to me. What are you thinking, that I'm going to _die_ if you stay?"

Hitomi hadn't expected any reaction to show in Folken's expression when she looked up again. She figured he'd stay silent and indifferent, the way he always did. In fact, she half-hoped he would. One glimpse of the betrayal that crossed his visage before he could control it was enough to make her wish she could turn back time and hold her anger before it got the best of her.

"It wouldn't be the first time," was all he would say.

Something behind his words drained away all her rage. "You're not cursed to suffer, you know. I know you think you are, but that's not true. No one deserves to live a life of only misery." Hitomi sighed and sat down on the bench again, letting her words die away in the rainfall. "How does that make sense? That's not the way life works."

Folken watched her cover her face with her hands, acutely aware of how weak and vulnerable she had become. Any other time he would have seized this opportunity for all it was worth, but now, he couldn't think of any reason to.

"You know," she said on second thought, "it hurts a lot more when you're gone than it ever could when you're here."

Silence drifted over them, and for several minutes, the only sounds were the pattering rain on the Escaflowne's smooth armor and Hitomi's shaking breaths as she tried to repress her tears. In her broken state, Folken almost expected her to melt away into the mist, and the thought suddenly scared him. He sat down beside her and reached out to touch her shoulder, to remind her that she wasn't alone, but he caught sight of his metallic right hand and faltered. He could see the raindrops strike it, but he couldn't feel them. It reminded him that he wasn't tied to Hitomi like his brother and their friends, and it was not his place to offer her anything. He let his hand fall back at his side.

Hitomi sighed again and suddenly spoke. "I just don't get it anymore. I haven't asked you for anything, so why are you here now?" She paused, her eyes still covered. "You know what, forget about what I said. You don't need to stay with me like this. Don't feel like you have to protect me."

"I don't. I . . ." It wasn't his place, but Folken wished it were. "I _want_ to protect you."

"I don't need someone taking care of me."

Folken looked down and spotted Hitomi's pendant sunk in the mud. He pulled it out. "You're right. All you've ever needed is a guide. You're very capable of being alone." He wiped some of the grime away from the stone with his thumb. "But I don't think you want to be."

_"I said I would always be there to help you, and I will."_ The words of the angel in her dream suddenly popped into Hitomi's mind the same moment she heard them spoken aloud.

"I . . . I want to be here . . . to help you . . ." said Folken. "I want to be with you . . ."

Hitomi uncovered her eyes, letting her cupped hands fall into her lap. Folken held out the pendant and placed it in them. Two of her tears splashed on it.

_If you're really my angel, I'm not going to let you disappear._

"No," she said, shaking her head. "No, I just . . . I can't do this anymore."

She stood up and walked out into the rain, facing away from him. "Nobody understands. I can't just stay here and live like this. With you around . . . it doesn't matter what I do to control it, I know I'm going to slip and do something to hurt you."

"What makes it any different when you leave than when I do?" he asked.

Hitomi didn't answer right away. "That's . . . different. I can't control my power." She clenched the pendant tightly in her right hand in helpless frustration. "I'm so sick of all this. No one has any idea what it's like for me."

She stopped, hearing words for the first time. _God, listen to me. I'm so selfish. No wonder I keep hurting everybody else. I've never cared about anyone but myself._ She turned back to Folken. _I can't believe he wants to help me. Maybe I can . . . No. I'm letting him come with me just to have this happen all over again._

Hitomi shook her head. "I'm sorry . . . but you're better off alone . . . and so am I." She turned and walked away.

The wind picked up and drove rain into her eyes, but Hitomi paid it little heed. She didn't want to think about the rain, or Folken, or her destiny, or anything. She just wanted everything to leave her alone. With her vision so clouded with moisture, she couldn't make out the person striding purposefully toward her.

"You _are_ the Girl from the Mystic Moon." The sharpness of Celena's voice could have split the downpour. "And you are going to come with me."

-x-X-x-X-x-

_"Forget this life,  
Come with me,  
Don't look back,  
You're safe now . . ."_  
-Evanescence, "Anywhere"

-x-X-x-X-x-

**TO BE CONTINUED . . .**

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	11. Chapter 10: Take My Hand

**Disclaimer:** _Tenkuu no Escaflowne_ is property of Bandai and Sunrise, all rights reserved. I am in no way affiliated with these companies, or any legal proceedings concerning _Tenkuu no Escaflowne_. This story has been written purely out of enjoyment, and is not intended to make a profit, steal ideas, or offend anybody. Any similarities between my work and anyone else's is purely coincidental. "Take My Hand" song lyrics are property ofDido, all rights reserved. 

-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-

**_"Anywhere"_ -- Chapter 10: Take My Hand**

By The Last Princess of Hyrule

-x-X-x-X-x-

_"Touch my skin,  
And tell me what you're thinking,  
Take my hand,  
And show me where we're going,  
Lie down next to me,  
Look into my eyes,  
And tell me,  
Oh, tell me what you're seeing . . ."_  
-Dido, "Take My Hand"

-x-X-x-X-x-

The rain beat down in heavy sheets on Hitomi and Celena as they faced each other amidst the crumbling ruins of the Fanelian capitol. The freezing torrent soaked through their clothes and made Hitomi shiver, but it couldn't dampen the ferocity in Celena's eyes.

"What are you talking about? I told you, I'm not the Girl from the Mystic Moon." Hitomi's declaration was anything but convincing.

"You can't lie to me," said Celena. "You brought us both from Egzardia to Fanelia through a pillar of light with the power of the Atlantean pendant in your right hand. You are Hitomi Kanzaki."

Hitomi's heart stopped. How was this even possible? There was no way. Celena hadn't known anything when Hitomi first talked to her--she'd been like an empty shell without any personality. There was no way she could even have learned Hitomi's _name_ since their last meeting.

"I . . . I think you've made a mistake," Hitomi said, taking a step back. "My name's Yukari Uchida, not Hitomi Kanzaki."

Celena reached out and grabbed her wrist. Hitomi tried to pull away, but Celena had a surprisingly strong grip. "Enough. You're coming with me."

-x-X-x-X-x-

/./Celena, is this bothering you? Acting so cold-hearted like this?/./ Dilandau asked smugly. /./I know you don't like it././

/I don't know you, and I don't care to. Please, just stop bothering me./

/./Aww, you know I can't do that. Not until I get what I want././

/What is that?/

/./Let me free././

/I don't know how to free you./

/./Really? Well, that's a shame. I guess you'll just have to get used to acting like this. That's what happens when someone tampers with your mind././

-x-X-x-X-x-

_The door to the room opened and two foreboding armored soldiers entered. Celena recognized them when she looked up and tried to remain inconspicuous. She huddled as far as she could in the corner of the room farthest from the door, ducking below the shadow of a cot. _Please don't let them see me,_ she prayed silently. _My god, Jichia, please keep me safe.

"You there," said one of the guards to a little boy. He tapped Celena's bed. "Where's the girl that sleeps here?"

All of the children Celena had traveled with on the leviship lived in the same crowded room. There were fifteen of them and only twelve bunks, but the beds were never all full at one time.

The boy pointed silently to Celena's hiding place. The guards started toward her slowly.

Someone was always being taken away.

-x-X-x-X-x-

/./Whoa, what was that?/./ Celena could almost hear the smirk in Dilandau's words. /./That was certainly interesting././

/Stop it./ Celena yanked Hitomi's arm. "Let's go." They set off at a jog through the rain.

"Where are we going?" asked Hitomi, splashing through puddles of cold, murky water.

/./Yeah, Celena, where are we going?/./

She didn't answer either of them, only quickened her pace.

-x-X-x-X-x-

_The guards yanked Celena roughly through a dank underground hallway that led to the Labs. Her heart pounded rapidly. _

"I'm sick," she told her guards, faking an unconvincing cough. "I don't wanna go today. Please don't make me."

"Shut up," one growled.

They turned a corner and came to a pair of heavy steel doors, solid and unmarked, but Celena knew where they led. Everyone knew what horrors lay behind them, what torment very few of them survived. Her throat constricted as the guards, with noticeable effort, pushed one open.

"No," she begged in a whisper. "Please don't take me back in there. Please."

-x-X-x-X-x-

It only took them a minute to reach the red guymelef, which had been transported to Fanelia by another pillar of light. It was scratched and covered with dirt from several crash landings, but looked fully capable of flight. Celena dropped Hitomi's arm and leapt up to the cockpit.

Dilandau was laughing inside her head. /./What interesting images. Care to see more?/./

The cockpit flew open. Celena stepped inside and closed it.

/./Have these memories triggered any other good ones? Like how to let me go?/./

/I told you, I don't know how to do that./ she snapped.

/./We've been in this predicament before and gotten out of it just fine. Why is this time any different?/./

/What last time? I don't know what you're talking about./

/./Okay . . . but I warned you././

-x-X-x-X-x-

_The only light in the operating room came from an artificial fire suspended from the ceiling made by Zaibach's magic "science." The two guards lifted Celena onto a metal table, the sight of which made her go limp with fear, and strapped her down. They drew thick belts across her ankles, wrists, and stomach, notching them so tight she could hardly breathe. The single light cast haunting shadows across their faces--half sickening yellow, half completely black. _

The door opened, and a man hidden in a black cloak entered, followed by two others carrying trays. One was covered with strange, frightening devices with long points and sharp, cruel hooks, while the other carried papers.

The cloaked man picked up a file from the second tray and opened it. "This is subject F1047855, delta ward. Last procedure: Blue 14. Hmm . . that's almost twelve days ago. Treatment: Three shots Bytherian mix, one pure Tranentan, four Caerinine. Interesting set . . ."

He smiled at Celena. His smile was that of an obsessed madman, and it would be burned in the back of her mind forever with his creaky, scraping voice. "Well, let's get started."

-x-X-x-X-x-

/./What the hell is this?/./ Dilandau's surprise was sincere. /./I know that man././

Celena was shaking in the guymelef as she stood up. /P-please . . . I don't want to s-see anymore . . ./

-x-X-x-X-x-

Hitomi watched Celena stumble into the guymelef, feeling very out-of-the-loop. The young woman's sudden change from stable anger to faltering and shaking was just as odd as how she had suddenly come up with Hitomi's identity. What was someone so unstable doing out on her own?

The guymelef's molten claws shot out and wrapped around Hitomi's waist, lifting her off the ground. Why would Zaibach send a soldier like Celena out alone to capture Hitomi? Did they have any idea what was happening to her?

-x-X-x-X-x-

_The Sorcerer sorted through the tools on the first tray and picked up an empty syringe. "I need a new sample of her blood. I want to see what effect the stimulants had on her system before we begin." _

He grabbed Celena's right wrist and turned her arm, plunging the needlepoint deep into her veins. She screamed for a moment, but the rush of blood being sucked away from her made her close her mouth to keep from throwing up.

"Now." The Sorcerer thrust the blood sample toward one of his attendants. "Take this to the white room and make sure they have it analyzed immediately. Watch them this time. I don't want to be kept waiting."

Celena felt herself drifting into unconsciousness as the first attendant hurried out. The Sorcerer picked up another syringe, this one filled with clear liquid, and passed it to the other. "Administer this to her. I want her awake the whole time."

-x-X-x-X-x-

/Please, stop it!/ Celena begged desperately as she flicked on the guymelef's flying engines and lifted into the air. /I don't know how to free you, but if you stop, maybe I can think of something./

/./I didn't do anything that time././ Dilandau's voice quavered. /./You remembered that one yourself././

-x-X-x-X-x-

_"I don't get it," said the Sorcerer. He threw the blood analysis papers onto a tray in frustration. Six hours had passed since the stimulant entered her system, and Celena's eyes were still opened so wide they ached. "With this many toxins in her system, she should be dead." _

"Jichia, Jichia," Celena muttered incomprehensibly. "Save me, Jichia."

The Sorcerer frowned. "I want her changed to shock treatment. Maybe that will have some affect. Bring me the generator."

-x-X-x-X-x-

The red guymelef, which had been ascending smoothly into the clouds, suddenly lurched and dropped several feet, causing Hitomi to scream.

"No more!" came Celena's voice from the cockpit. "I don't want to see anything more! Stop it!"

"What's going on?!" Hitomi called. "Celena!"

"No!"

A rush of movement beneath them caught Hitomi's eye, and she twisted around to look down. They were flying at any upward angle several hundred feet above ground, which was clouded from view by a thin layer of misty rain. Not quite twenty feet below them was the Escaflowne.

"Folken!" she cried.

The red guymelef jolted again.

-x-X-x-X-x-

_Metal barbs were adhered in a peculiar pattern all over Celena's body by the Sorcerer's two attendants. Some were in lines down her arms and legs, some made an oval across her stomach, and five circled her face. When they finished, they drew several thin copper wires from the point of one to another, spinning a spider's web poised above her body. _

She rolled her head to the side. On her left, a rumbling black box was vibrating and making hideous screeching noises. The Sorcerer stood next to it, observing the progress with narrowed eyes.

"The last child on this high voltage didn't make it," he muttered to himself, "but maybe this one will survive. With all the chemicals in her body, this much energy could cause an interesting reaction."

One of the attendants took the last strands of wire and twisted them together, then tied the coil to an outlet on the black box, connecting it to Celena. When they were safely away from the table, the Sorcerer flicked a switch on the generator, and wailing screech, it turned on. The first jolt of electricity was four times stronger than a lightening bolt.

"Jichia! Jichiaaaaa!"

-x-X-x-X-x-

/Jichia . . . Jichia . . ./

The red guymelef banked and shot steeply upward. Sharp wind smacked Celena's face through the metal viewing grate as she climbed higher and higher.

/./Celena, if you don't get a hold of yourself, you're going to kill us!/./

Celena couldn't hear him. She couldn't hear anything except the sound of the screeching black generator and her own voice screaming. She squinted her eyes, wishing she could press out the memories behind them. "Jichia, Jichia . . ."

Suddenly, the flying apparatus stalled, and their ascent halted. The world froze.

-x-X-x-X-x-

_The generator had been off for fifteen minutes before Celena could draw a breath without it burning like hellfire in her lungs. Several more minutes passed before she stopped screaming. The Sorcerer and his assistants watched her critically, their faces void of any shred of empathy. _

"Interesting . . ." The Sorcerer stroked his pointed chin. "I think we're making progress with this one."

"Jichia!" Celena cried. She struggled savagely against her bindings, her eyes searing with the sweat that dripped into them.

"Take another sample of her blood," he said to one of his attendants.

The attendant nodded once and picked up an empty syringe, this one stained with old blood. He gave no thought to cleaning it before he stabbed it into her arm, the same arm they used before, where the only resistance was a sticky blood-blot failing to harden. He pulled up the blood and tore the syringe out again, ripping an inch or so of her skin in the process. Only on indication from the Sorcerer did he bother to tend the bleeding.

-x-X-x-X-x-

"Jichia . . ." Celena was shaking as badly as during her shock treatment. "Jichia . . ." She couldn't seem to slow her beating heart, or calm her sharp breaths. Her concentration consumed by memories, it was as far from controlling the red guymelef as possible, and Celena lost her hold on Hitomi.

-x-X-x-X-x-

_The results from the second blood test came back sooner, only a two hour delay. In that time, another syringe full of stimulant had been injected into her throbbing right arm. She was back to staring wide eyed at the ceiling, watching the light beaming across it. The stimulant did nothing to numb the pain from the generator, but it hurt even more to scream, so Celena was silent. _

The Sorcerer examined analysis papers for a moment, then scowled and threw them aside. " '. . . something strange about this experiment . . .' Of course there's something strange about this experiment! It should have failed a long time ago!"

He grabbed the records of Celena's previous treatments from her. His scowl deepened. "Hmm . . . If someone had thought to monitor her progress better, maybe we could explain what's going on." He glared at one of his attendants. "I want this child moved to a solitary ward. Get someone watching her all the time." He looked back at Celena. "Something about this child is making her different from the others. I want to know exactly_ what's causing it."_

-x-X-x-X-x-

Hitomi plummeted back to Gaea faster than Celena had flown away it. Overhead, she saw Celena had managed to reactivate her flying apparatus and stop her own fall, but Hitomi was too far down to be caught. She could only watch helplessly in the few seconds that all this passed through as the red guymelef flew farther away, and her back slammed into something solid.

-x-X-x-X-x-

_Almost twenty hours had passed since Celena entered the operating room, but even though her mind was still wide awake, her body had practically shut down when she was finally taken away. Her two guards dragged her by the arms down the hall, ignoring her groans at the aches their movement irritated. _

"Jichia . . ." she whispered through the pain.

One of the guards yanked her arm up roughly, almost jarring her shoulder from its socket. "Shut up, stupid kid! Quit saying that damn name!"

"W-why . . .?" She looked up at him weakly.

"There isn't nobody watching over you here," he growled. "No gods, no Jinchi, no nobody."

-x-X-x-X-x-

The impact knocked the wind out of her, and for a moment, Hitomi stared up at the sky in blank shock. Rain trickled down on her face. With effort, she wiped it away. It was only then that she realized she was still alive.

Sound returned to her ears a moment later, and the first thing she heard was Folken's anxious voice calling her name.

Hitomi opened her eyes and found herself lying face up on the back of the Escaflowne, just a foot short of the pilot's seat. Wind and rain shot sideways past her face. They were still flying, and very fast. More concerning was the fact that there wasn't anything on the back of the Dragon to hold on to.

"Hitomi! Are you all right?!" Folken's words shot right by her on the air current.

She closed her eyes and whimpered, reaching frantically above her head, her hands searching over the Escaflowne's smooth surface for anything to hang onto. Her fingers brushed the rim of something, and she grabbed on. Holding as tightly as possible, she rolled onto her stomach and pulled herself up to the pilot's seat behind Folken.

"Gods, are you all right?" he asked again as she wrapped her trembling arms around his waist.

Still unable to speak, Hitomi nodded and leaned against him, closing her eyes. Her heart was still pounding, and her entire body shook with each breath, but the pattering rain and the safety she felt in Folken's presence had a calming effect.

She tried not to think about what she had said to him earlier about being better off alone, but her mind wouldn't leave it alone. If anyone's life was cursed to be a magnet to disaster, it was Hitomi's. She'd only wanted to keep him away to save him from that disaster, but in fact, things were only more miserable when they were apart.

She felt the same way about her other friends, and was beginning to realize the rashness in her decision to leave them. If avoiding her made things any easier on them, they would have abandoned her a long time ago, but they, like Folken, stayed loyal through everything. Running away from them was like trying to run from her destiny--in the end, it hurt less just to face it.

"Something very strange is happening with Dilandau's flying," Folken pointed out. "He's diving all over the place."

"Dilandau?" Hitomi's eyes snapped open and she looked upward. The red guymelef was faltering in flight, banking sharply in random directions, stalling for periods of time, and then shooting forward in mad bursts of speed. "That pilot's Celena."

"Celena? She doesn't sound familiar to me. She must be pretty brave to steal Dilandau's own guymelef."

"What do you mean?"

"That red guymelef is unmistakable. It's the only one in the entire fleet. Dilandau is known for it. This Celena is going to be in a lot of trouble if he finds out she took it." The Escaflowne slowed.

"Wait a minute! What are you doing? Follow her!"

"What?" Folken turned around and gave Hitomi an worried look, as if she had gone completely out of her mind. "Why?"

"There's something really weird about her. I don't know what, but there's something. The way she was acting when she captured me . . . it was almost like her mind was in two different places," Hitomi tried to explain. "Like she was actually two different people in the same body. Look, I know it sounds crazy, and I can't explain it. Just don't lose her."

Folken hesitated. "I have a feeling she's headed to the empire. Are you sure that's where you want to go?"

Hitomi nodded, and they sped up again. Following a pilot that tried to kidnap her into the thick of Zaibach probably wasn't a smart move, but it felt like the right one. Celena's fluxuating personality was sharp in Hitomi's mind, edging her on. _I have a feeling there's a long story behind this . . ._

-x-X-x-X-x-

Dilandau was shaking as he wrestled the guymelef's controls, struggling to manage its wild flight and keep from falling. He was high above ground, and the cold air seeped inside through its drafty crevices, numbing his body, but at lease he knew it were there.

/Dilandau? Dilandau?/

It took Dilandau a moment to find his voice. /./ . . . I'm here././

/Oh, thank Jichia you're all right!/ Celena sighed with relief.

/./Yeah././

/What happened?/ Her voice was full of concern. She was back to her old self again.

Dilandau shook his head and tried to dodge the subject. /./I don't know././

/Did you call those images? Those memories?/

He was silent.

/How did you find them? I mean--/

/./I don't know, okay? I have no idea how I did . . . whatever the hell I did. The whole thing just doesn't make sense././ He frowned. /./Look, everything's back to normal, so let's just drop it././

/But what about those memories? I can't believe I remembered all of that stuff . . . Wait, didn't you recognize someone in one of them?/

/./Damn it, Celena, I can't think about that right now! I'm trying not to crash this damn 'melef!/./

/Sorry./

They flew in silence for a while. Dilandau was grateful for it. Celena was back to her usual honest, good self, but as hard as he tried, he couldn't put her cruel lapse out of his mind. He still wasn't exactly sure how he caused it, though he had a vague idea. By some weird happening he didn't know, he and Celena seemed to share a body. Only one of them could be walking around in control at a time, but the other's consciousness remained awake in the controller's conscious mind.

Dilandau toggled the flight capacitor and sped up, turning the guymelef north. They were headed to the capitol of the Zaibach empire. Maybe there was someone there who could explain to Dilandau exactly what was this predicament he and Celena were in.

With the thought of Zaibach, the images he'd recovered from Celena's memories returned to mind. They were so sharp and clear--it was evident they were real events. He hadn't meant to find them at first. Tampering with Celena's personality had been more than enough to get her to talk to him. But no, a better opportunity presented itself and he took it before he even knew what he was doing.

Dilandau flew in that contemplative state all day and night without stopping to rest. Eventually, the rain that beat into the guymelef through the grate and dampened its interior slowed to a sprinkling, but it, like his flight, was persistent. It wasn't until it was almost dawn again that he started to slow down.

Celena noticed a change in his thoughts immediately. /What's happening?/ she asked. /Where are we?/

An expansive mechanical city lit up with cold, artificial light lay out before him. The welcoming sight was enough to make Dilandau smile. /./Home././

-x-X-x-X-x-

_"Unlock your heart,  
Drop your guard,  
No one's left to stop you . . ."_  
-Evanescence, "Anywhere"

-x-X-x-X-x-

**TO BE CONTINUED . . .**

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	12. Chapter 11: I See Right Through To You

**Disclaimer:** _Tenkuu no Escaflowne_ is property of Bandai and Sunrise, all rights reserved. I am in no way affiliated with these companies, or any legal proceedings concerning _Tenkuu no Escaflowne_. This story has been written purely out of enjoyment, and is not intended to make a profit, steal ideas, or offend anybody. Any similarities between my work and anyone else's is purely coincidental. "I See Right Through To You" song lyrics are property ofDJ Encore, all rights reserved. 

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**_"Anywhere"_ -- Chapter 11: I See Right Through To You**

By The Last Princess of Hyrule

-x-X-x-X-x-

_"I see right through to you,  
It's not like I don't feel your mood,  
What you have for me is different,  
Than the rest that moves,  
I'll be positive,  
I know that I could be there too,  
'Cause you have it all,  
Have it all . . ."_  
-DJ Encore, "I See Right Through To You"

-x-X-x-X-x-

Dawn in the Zaibach capitol was cold--colder than it should have been. Late summer covered Gaea with pleasant warmth just after the heavy heat finally broke, but Zaibach, though it bordered Asturia, seemed to be in a different climate altogether. A cold wind was blowing through the perpetually clouded sky on a morning that should have been comfortably cool, but had Hitomi shivering.

"Now that we're here, what should we do?" she asked, looking down on the dismal capitol of the empire.

"I was hoping you knew," said Folken. The Escaflowne banked, flying in a wide circle hidden in the thick fog above the city. "This was your idea, after all." There was a bitterness to Folken's words that made Hitomi feel ashamed that she suggested coming to the country.

"Well, we should find out where Celena went." They had lost track of the red guymelef when it flew into the capitol without hesitation, while they were forced to turn so not to be seen.

Hitomi looked up at Folken hopefully. His gaze stayed on the city. They made a few more circuits before he finally spoke. "There aren't many soldiers down there. The barracks and the docking bays seem very quiet. Even the repair bays are empty. Most of the army isn't in the capitol anymore."

"That's a good thing, right?"

"Not for those in their path, but for us it is. There will be less soldiers to ask questions." Folken pulled hard on the left cord and pointed the Dragon toward the ground.

"Less soldiers to . . . hey, wait a minute! We aren't just _landing_ right in the middle of the city, are we?"

Folken turned around. "Do you want to keep circling all day? We certainly could."

"But what if someone recognizes me?"

"Why would that matter? You're already in the capitol. For all anyone else knows, I might be on my way to take you to the emperor."

Hitomi considered this as the Escaflowne glided to a stop in a wide, shadowy alley between two tall concrete buildings. She was already in the thick of the empire, having sauntered right in as if to challenge its power. Looking at the situation, things couldn't get much worse. She leapt down as the Dragon changed to a guymelef, then knelt and Folken climbed out.

"What are we going to do with Escaflowne this time?" asked Hitomi, gesturing up at it. "It's going to be kind of hard to hide."

"There isn't really anything we can do, except leave it here and hope no one notices."

Hitomi sighed. "This is hopeless. Someone'll find it for sure, and they'll try to take it apart again."

"If anyone finds it, they'll take it to the emperor, but the Sorcerers won't try to dismantle it." Folken looked around and led her out of the alley onto the street. "This time they'll study it and try to find a way for someone from Zaibach to pilot it in the war."

_That's not much better,_ Hitomi thought, _but at least Escaflowne will stay in one piece._ Not only was it their only mode of transportation out of Zaibach, but it was also an Ispano guymelef with a blood pact to Van. When she was in Zaibach the first time, the Sorcerers had tried to dismantle it, and nearly killed Van. She still wanted to make sure her friends weren't hurt, and that made it one of her responsibilities to keep the Escaflowne safe.

The streets of the mechanical city were lined with white frost, and the only people out so early were wrapped in heavy cloaks and hats. Unlike Tenue and Palas, which were filled with colorful stalls and energetic merchants, those living in Zaibach were dark, reserved, and quiet. Folken passed them in the same manner, which he didn't even seem to notice, but Hitomi followed feeling conspicuous. No one seemed to notice her, or if they did, they didn't care. The solitude made her shiver.

"I don't like this place," she said, her voice a whisper.

"What?" Folken stopped and looked back at her.

Hitomi turned pink. She hadn't realized she'd spoken the thought aloud. "I, ah . . ." She hesitated. Folken had lived in Zaibach for several years. For all she knew, he might have liked the place. "It's just too cold for me." She chose her words carefully, hoping not to offend him.

He laughed quietly. The tone of his voice told her he knew what she was trying to do. "Really?"

"I d-don't mean just the weather." The chill in the air seeped through her uniform jacket, and her teeth began to chatter. "I mean the b-buildings, and the people, and everything. It's all just so . . . c-cold."

He gave her a contemplative look, and then smiled. "I can see this isn't going to be a pleasant trip for you."

Hitomi nodded, rubbing her hands briskly up and down her arms, trying to coax a little warmth back into them.

Folken's smile vanished. "Are you really that cold?"

She shook her head. "I'll be f-fine."

He looked still concerned. "Here, take this." He unclasped his black cloak and handed it to her.

"B-but you n-need it." Hitomi held it out for him to take back.

"For what? I'm used to this."

It suddenly dawned on Hitomi that because they were in Zaibach, he wouldn't need it to disguise himself. Considering the circumstances, it was much more beneficial for Hitomi to use its powers to hide herself. She took it and wrapped it around her shoulders, pulling the hood over her head to stop the cold creeping down her neck. It was still warm.

"I'm only borrowing it," she insisted.

After that, walking along the streets was a little more pleasant, despite the cityscape and the atmosphere. Folken led her toward the barracks, which seemed like the obvious place to look for Celena. As they walked, Hitomi found it easier to focus on the things around her without the chill.

Zaibach had absolutely nothing in common with Asturia or Egzardia, except that all three were countries with people and a government. The biggest difference was the lack of activity, and though Folken insisted they were near the city's center, there was hardly anything going to make Hitomi believe him. There were a few stalls on the streets with just as few people looking around them, but for the most part, the city was empty. The buildings were gray concrete and plaster, each one designed exactly like the last. Everything in Zaibach had an order, a pattern--it was a country of standards and precision.

The barracks were just that, as Hitomi had come to expect. There were five of them, long rectangular buildings set in an orderly line across from the repair bays, each one barred with steel doors and bolted windows.

"Are you sure we'll find Celena here?" asked Hitomi.

"This is the best place to start looking," said Folken.

The first door they tried on the building nearest to them was locked. So was the second. There weren't any soldiers outside to see them struggling with the doors, and when Hitomi peered through one of the windows, there didn't seem to be anyone inside either. _Where_ is_ everyone in this country? They can't_ all_ be soldiers fighting in the war._

"Where is everybody?" she asked no one in particular. She yanked on a third door around the back of the building. It wouldn't budge. "Oh, come on."

Folken took the handle and pushed. The door swung open. He didn't say anything as he went inside, but Hitomi was sure she saw him smile.

"I knew that."

They entered a large room cramped in every free space with file cabinets containing the registries and information of the soldiers in residence at that particular barracks. There was no writing on the files, and Hitomi wondered if there was any kind of order to them. Even if Celena _was_ housed in this barracks, it would probably take a long time to find her registry.

A hall at the far end of the room led to the soldiers' quarters, and somehow Hitomi and Folken managed to squeeze through the spaces between the cabinets to get to it. Entrances to large bunk rooms connected to the corridor every twenty or thirty feet, and each room held two rows of ten beds, all clean, tidied, but empty. In the fourth room, however, a single soldier in a red uniform sat on a bed in the far corner with his back to Hitomi and Folken.

Dilandau turned and frowned as he heard them enter. "Well, I don't believe who it is. Took you long enough. So I see the Strategos finally managed to capture someone. Too bad it isn't the Girl from the Mystic Moon. I'm almost impressed." He sighed and rested his cheek in one hand. "So, what did you follow me here for, anyway? What were you doing in Fanelia?"

Folken scowled. "I could ask you the same thing."

"I don't think it really matters." Dilandau suddenly grinned. "No one will care that I was gone when they find you. Everyone's been wondering what happened to you after we heard about the _Vione_. I'm sure Emperor Dornkirk will be most interested in everything you've been doing," he said pointedly, flashing a look at Hitomi.

"You may be right, Dilandau. I'm sure he would."

Dilandau glared at Folken for a moment, then started to laugh. "Well, I guess we'll just have to arrange for you to meet him, then." He whistled, and two armored soldiers rushed into the room.

"Perhaps you have been gone too long to know, Strategos, but Zaibach is at war. Oh, we're doing well enough, but there have been some interesting movements by the Alliance armies." Dilandau had a knowing glare in his eyes.

"There are armies coming in from three sides of the country, but they've left the south empty," he went on. "Each day they push in over our borders and try to force us south." Dilandau grinned wickedly. "If I remember correctly, this is a technique Zaibach used against Fanelia several months ago. We, the unknowing victims, will expect a massive army to be waiting south in Asturia to surprise us, but when we find nothing, the enemies on all three sides will attack together."

The soldiers stirred uneasily. No one spoke, except Dilandau. "Now, how would the Alliance know such a ploy, to keep their tactics invisible until the crucial moment, or to arrange their armies in a way to make us expect something different? I'm sure the emperor would _love_ to hear your insight on the situation. You _are_ the Strategos, after all." He motioned to the soldiers. "Take the Strategos and his lady somewhere they can wait while I inform Emperor Dornkirk of their presence."

The soldiers nodded simultaneously and advanced on them. Folken stepped in front of Hitomi protectively, but he didn't try to fight. They could hear Dilandau laughing as they were lead away, and Hitomi looked back at him once, catching his gaze. For a moment an unspoken message seemed to pass between them, but it vanished as she was pulled out the door, and Dilandau fell silent.

-x-X-x-X-x-

They were taken away from the barracks and into the bowels of a massive stone fortress Hitomi remembered all too well that stood in the very center of the city. People stared in awe throughout every floor they descended. And why shouldn't they? The Strategos of Zaibach was one of the most important and influential people in the empire. Seeing him escorted to the dungeons, and obviously not to see one of the prisoners, was something sure to cause a stir.

Folken did not seem to notice their stares, or if he did, he made no acknowledgement. He walked behind the soldiers cold and proud. It made Hitomi remember what he had been like when they first met, much like this, and she followed him feeling out of place. It was intimidating and in some ways frightening when she thought about how she had ignored this part of him while they were in Egzardia, trying to pretend it didn't exist. Seeing him in Zaibach showed her just how little she really knew about him.

The dungeons were dug very deep below, where the air was even more cold and stale than out in the open. Hitomi wrapped the cloak a little tighter around her as they stepped off the stairs, turned a few corners, and entered a hallway filled with empty cells.

One of the guards unlocked a cell adjacent the corridor they had entered through, and snickered. "There's been a rumor going around that the Strategos died in the wreck of the _Vione_, but I didn't think so." He gestured Folken inside the cell. "I've served under General Adelphos for fifteen years, and I knew he'd be trouble the moment I saw him."

His partner laughed. "You're a crazy old-timer." He grabbed Hitomi's arm and shoved her through the door. She bumped roughly into Folken and fell to the ground. "You been thinking about that for all these years?"

The first guard glared at him. "Emperor Dornkirk put too much trust in him too quickly." He grabbed the gate and threw it closed with a resonant clang. "Now, I don't know the whole story, but I do know they found him half-dead in a forest in Fanelia." He picked up the lock and latched the door again. "They picked him up and saved his life, but no one really knows why."

The younger guard looked from Folken to the older guard, raising an eyebrow, his visage doubtful. Then he laughed. "I think you're full of shit." He started back down the corridor away from the cell.

The older guard pocketed the keys and followed. "Are you discrediting your superior?"

"You're not any more important than me."

"Ingrate! I have seniority. I . . ." Hitomi could no longer hear their words as they walked away and their voices faded into the distance.

She stood up and brushed herself off, looking around. The cell was obviously designed to house a large amount of people. There were several cots attached to the stone walls on three sides and two long benches in the center. Unfortunately, not much else.

Folken sighed and sat down on one of the cots. "I'm so sorry, Hitomi. I should never have brought you here. I should have known they would be more keen to what happened to me than I hoped."

Hitomi straddled the bench across from him. "It's not your fault. I asked you to bring me here. Besides, how could you have known this would happen?" She tried to smile, but Folken shook his head.

"No," he said. "That isn't any excuse. I should have known Dilandau would set a trap like that. Elite soldiers are known for their ability to turn hopeless situations to their advantage."

"But how could Dilandau have even known we were heading to Zaibach?" Hitomi asked. "It was _Celena_ who was flying the red guymelef."

"We don't even know who this _Celena_ is. There might not even _be_ a soldier in Zaibach by that name."

"But her uniform, what about that? I know she was wearing a red Zaibach uniform." Hitomi strained to remember the details. "It looked just like Dilandau's."

Folken slumped forward and rubbed his temples with one hand. "It doesn't make a difference."

"Why would he want to lure you back here anyway?" she offered.

"Because he knows I sought refuge in Asturia and told them valuable information. Because he's ambitious and tries to seize every opportunity to raise his prestige. There are plenty of reasons."

Hitomi bit her lip, trying to think of some solid way that their capture wasn't entirely his fault.

"And probably to get you," Folken added.

She rubbed the fabric of her cloak between her fingers and suddenly remembered something. "Wait a minute. How could he even know I was with you? I was wearing this." She held up part of it. "He shouldn't have been able to see me, should he? Or does it only work for you?"

"No, it will work for anyone who knows how to use it properly, and you know how to use it."

"Yeah, well." Hitomi looked away. "Sort of."

"You must. Dilandau would have recognized you if he saw you."

"Could _you_ see me?"

In all honestly, he hadn't been looking. "No, not at all."

Hitomi beamed.

"So it _was_ entirely my fault you're in this mess. Your presence had nothing to do with it." Folken sighed. "I said I would protect you and I've already failed. I brought you right into the hands of your enemy _again_."

"This isn't your fault. If I hadn't asked you to follow Celena, we wouldn't even be here," Hitomi insisted, trying in any way she could to take the blame. If she could do that, maybe she could start taking away all the horrible things she said before. It was just as much her fault that they were in trouble as it was his.

Suddenly, the answer was right in front of her. Hitomi stood up and reached around her neck, feeling for the clasp of the pendant's chain. "We shouldn't be here. We should be anywhere but here." Folken looked up as she pulled it off and held it in front of her.

"Hitomi?"

She closed her eyes. Two nights ago, she called a pillar of light down from the heavens to take her out of trouble in Egzardia. The power was within her heart to do it again. _"You know, you've got the power to make sense out of this whole messed-up world," said Naria. "But even with that, I don't think your heart is strong enough to do it right now."_ Naria was wrong; Hitomi _did_ have the strength to use her power. In her mind's eyes, she tried to visualize a place outside Zaibach where she wished to be. _"You can go anywhere,"_ said the roseate guide from her dream, "_but you will know where you want to be when you get there."_

The room at the inn in Tenue was the first thing to come to Hitomi's mind. Mentally, she walked inside and looked around. There was the bed, the chairs by the wall, and the blankets on the floor. There was the open window with fresh yellow sunlight beaming in, warming her all over, and Folken standing beside it, smiling.

_Why did everything have to get so far away from that peace? I miss it. I miss being able to wake up in the morning and not be worried about what I might do to someone. I miss not caring that there was a war going on, and that for once it didn't concern me. Why did fate have to take that away?_

_I wish I could change it._ Hitomi focused her thoughts at the pendant's power. _Please, take me back to that place. I miss it so much. Take me back there, please . . . _The pendant began to glow, and for a long time it colored the drab walls with its deep crimson light, but nothing happened. A pillar of light did not descend to take her away. When she finally opened her eyes, she was still locked inside the same dingy cell without a hope of escape. Nothing had happened.

Hitomi slumped back down on the bench in defeat. Why hadn't it worked? She wished with all her heart to go where she wanted to be. Why was she still here?

"Hitomi?" asked Folken after a moment, his voice full of concern. "Are you all right?"

She looked down at the fabric of the cloak and pulled a corner of it into her lap. "You never told me exactly how this thing works."

Folken's eyebrows knit together. "What made you think of that all of the sudden?"

"Please, just tell me."

"All right. A Fanelian cloak works when the wearer uses their mind to project the image of another person to hide their own. It isn't particularly difficult, and it tends to work almost every time."

"Almost?"

Folken hesitated. "It's said that a person in tune with the wearer's heart will be able to see through it, but I don't know anything about that."

Hitomi rubbed the fabric between two fingers. Carefully, she focused her thoughts to picture Millerna in her mind, and then tried to project the image. "Who do you see when you look at me now?" she asked.

Folken turned away and didn't dare look at her. He wasn't sure what he thought he would see, but he didn't want to see anything. He didn't want his eyes to tell him his feelings were wrong. But more than anything he didn't want to admit whatever he saw to Hitomi. She didn't need his affections mixing up her life.

Hitomi looked up. "Please?"

His heart filled with reluctance and regret, Folken raised his gaze and met hers. The short brown ringlets of hair that framed her face weren't Millerna's golden waves. Her gentle face was not so delicate as the princess's, and her lips were not parted in a perpetual smile. They weren't bluish-lavender eyes that looked back at him, but a pair cool green, and those sad eyes were filled with crystalline tears that threatened to trail down her cheeks.

"I see you, Hitomi."

-x-X-x-X-x-

_"Forget this life,  
Come with me,  
Don't look back,  
You're safe now . . ."_  
-Evanescence, "Anywhere"

-x-X-x-X-x-

**TO BE CONTINUED . . .  
**  
-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-


	13. Chapter 12: Don't Speak

**Disclaimer:** _Tenkuu no Escaflowne_ is property of Bandai and Sunrise, all rights reserved. I am in no way affiliated with these companies, or any legal proceedings concerning _Tenkuu no Escaflowne_. This story has been written purely out of enjoyment, and is not intended to make a profit, steal ideas, or offend anybody. Any similarities between my work and anyone else's is purely coincidental. "Don't Speak" song lyrics are property ofNo Doubt, all rights reserved. 

-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-

**_"Anywhere"_ -- Chapter 12: Don't Speak**

By The Last Princess of Hyrule

-x-X-x-X-x-

_"Don't speak,  
I know what you're saying,  
Don't tell me 'cause it hurts,  
Don't speak,  
I know what you're thinking,  
And I don't need your reasons,  
Don't tell me 'cause it hurts,  
It's all ending,  
I gotta stop pretending who we are . . ."_  
-No Doubt, "Don't Speak"

-x-X-x-X-x-

Dilandau returned to the barracks late in the evening after speaking with the emperor to find it just as empty as that morning, which wasn't a surprise. The regiments usually living in these quarters, those stationed on the floating fortress _Delate_, had been moved out toward battle. Many of the other barracks were empty as well, and like always, he was alone.

/You're never alone./

/./Oh, _now_ what do you want?/./ Dilandau sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. /./I've about had enough of you././

/You bother me just as much, you know. Everything always has to be your way./

/./_My_ way? Really?/./

/You haven't listened to my suggestions all day./

/./I wonder, why? Because they're ludicrous!/./

/No, Dilandau, what you're doing is ludicrous./

Dilandau rolled his eyes. /./You know, when I say it, it sounds good, but when you say it, it just sounds stupid././

Celena ignored his comment. /Just look at what you've done to the Strategos Folken and the Girl from the Mystic Moon./

/./Let's look. What _have_ I done to them? I haven't hurt them--/./

/But you betrayed them./

/./I _what_?/./ Dilandau laughed. /./I can't believe I'm hearing this. How could I betray them? I haven't even tried to _help_ them././

/What about in Egzardia? You tried to help the girl. You tried to get to her before King Ezara./

/./Yeah, so I could capture her and use her power for myself. By gods, Celena, you try to make everything so noble././

/And you try to make it all evil./

/./The world isn't that black and white././

/I know, but it should be./

Dilandau sighed. /./I really wish you would leave me alone././

/What good would that do? Then you'd be alone./

/./No shit! Then there wouldn't be this annoying voice in my head constantly telling me what to do././

/_Your_ head? I don't think so./

/./Well, who's head would it be?/./

/Mine./

/./Ha, that's a laugh. Be serious, Celena. What are you talking about?/./

/I am being serious/ she said. /I think this is my body./

She really was, and the strong conviction in her voice made Dilandau fall silent for a long moment. /./There are a lot of things wrong with that idea. First of all, you're a woman; I'm not././

/Spare me. That's trivial./

He rolled his eyes again. /./Second, if that were true, you would remember things, like being able to walk around and talk to people././

/I do--those memories you unlocked. That was my life./

/./All right, then. Third, if this is _your_ body, why am _I_ using it?/./

Celena didn't answer immediately. In fact, she didn't answer for a long time, so long Dilandau began to wonder what she was thinking. Though Celena could read any of his thoughts at any time, for some reason it didn't work the other way around.

When she finally spoke, she caught Dilandau by surprise. /I don't know anything about who you are, or why you're here, or any of that, but I know who I am now./ She paused. /My name is Celena Schezar. I am the daughter of Leon and Encia Schezar. I have an older brother named Allen who's a Knight Caeli. I lived in Asturia all my life before I was taken./

Celena struggled to piece together the newly-remembered bits of the ten years previously missing from her life. /I was taken here to Zaibach when I was a child. They . . . did things to me, like experiments or something. I don't know what. I was always strapped to a table being cut and stabbed with needles. I started blacking out a lot. The closer I get to now, the less I can remember, up until a couple weeks ago when I first met you./

/./More like when _I_ met _you_././ Dilandau paused. /./Do you think _I'm_ the reason you're memory's coming back?/./

/Yes./

/./And you don't even know who I am?/./

/Exactly./

/./Okay. My name is Dilandau Albatou. I have no family. I've lived in Zaibach for as long as I can remember. I've been training to be a soldier since I was very young. My military talent and skill are how I moved up the ranks so quickly. Until recently, I was a commander on the floating fortress _Vione_././

For a moment there was silence. Celena seemed to be waiting for him to continue. /And?/ she prompted.

/./And what? That was it././

/You can't tell me you have no family. What about your mother and father?/

/./I don't have any. Or if I do, I've never met them././

/What about friends? Surely you have some of those./

/./No, I don't, okay?/./ he snapped.

He knew Celena was suspicious of his answers. As he felt her start to sift through his subconscious to learn the truth, he added, /./And leave my thoughts alone. I know you're trying to learn all my secrets and everything, but don't. Aren't I entitled to some privacy?/./

/You tampered with my mind and my memories. I should be able to return the favor./

/./No, you shouldn't. You're always trying to get me to be a better person. It'd be awfully hypocritical for you to go against that././

/If you want to be a better person, why don't you try to help those people you imprisoned?/

/./Because I'm not a good person, and I don't want to be. I just want you to leave me alone././

/Actually . . . you are./ Celena's words had a sudden thoughtful overtone. /There aren't really any good or bad people, just good or bad situations. People either create conflict or try to overcome it. No one can be completely good or completely evil, because sometime in your life, you'll have the opportunity to be both./

/./Oh, really?/./

/Dilandau, you determine your actions based on what choice will be most beneficial for you, regardless of what it will do for others./

/./How insightful. There isn't anything wrong with that. You have to take care of yourself././

/Not every time. Have you ever wanted to help someone other than yourself, no matter what peril it placed your own life in?/

/./No././ he answered quickly, knowing this answer would just make Celena more suspicious.

/Who was it?/

/./No one, all right? Just leave me alone././

/I can't. I want to help the Girl from the Mystic Moon./

Dilandau scoffed. /./Why?/./

/I don't want what happened to me to happen to her. The Sorcerers will use her and her power for sure, and if she doesn't give it up willingly, they'll just take it by force./ Celena paused. /You didn't want to capture her just to hand her over to the Sorcerers, did you?/

/./That's none of your business././

/You know, everything you don't tell me just gives me more reason to invade your mind./

/./Don't even dare././

/Why not? You can't stop me./

He sighed. It was a losing battle from the beginning. /./Fine, do you want to know the truth? I needed her power to find out who I am. I don't remember anything before ten years ago. I know it's normal for people not to remember much of their childhood, but I don't remember anything at all. It's as if I wasn't even alive, and I know how crazy that sounds. So go ahead, search my mind, but you won't find anything././

They were silent for a moment. /If you wanted her help, why didn't you just ask?/

/./Because the world doesn't work like that, Celena. You can't just ask for something and simply be given it. Everything has its price././

/What was hers?/

Dilandau didn't answer.

/If you won't help me free her, then I have no choice but to do this. I'm sorry./

/./Sorry for what?/./

If she gave him an answer, his screams were too loud to hear it. Before she even stopped speaking, she reached out and touched his mind, pulling them both out of reality to shift their fates once more. Everything started to spin violently, and Dilandau lost focus with the world.

-x-X-x-X-x-

Later in what was most likely evening, Folken sat in silence on one of the long benches watching Hitomi sleep curled up on a cot. It was strange how peaceful she looked, compared to what she was like awake. The troubles and worry that lined her face vanished as she slept. She looked how a fifteen-year-old ought to look, free of the heavy burden of Gaea's destiny that rested on her alone, a burden that was too much for her. Hitomi's eyelids fluttered a little and her lips parted in a tiny smile. She was dreaming.

It was a strange feeling watching her sleep--something so simple and yet pleasant that Folken had been struggling to put a name to since leaving Asturia. It was the feeling he had when he first saw her crying in the courtyard, and then again on so many occasions in Egzardia. It was the feeling he had when she held his hand to control the CD player, or gripped tightly around his waist to keep from falling off the Escaflowne. It was the pure enjoyment he felt whenever saw her smile, and the burning desire never to let her cry.

He suddenly realized that this feeling wasn't one feeling, but many different ones, all lumped together in a huge, nonsensical mess in his heart. Happiness, content, protectiveness, and . . . love. That was it, wasn't it? Everything boiled down to that simple fact, and he almost couldn't believe it.

Folken loved Hitomi.

He sat for a moment, waiting. Wasn't something spectacular supposed to happen when someone realized they were in love? Where was the feeling of stars bursting in the sky, and the uncontrolled fit of passion between the two newly recognized lovers? But the impassive mood in the cell remained consistent; Hitomi slept on, and all Folken felt was more uncertainty.

Things were exactly the same now as a moment before, except that now he had a name for his feelings. Unfortunately, that still did not change the fact that these feelings were wrong and misplaced. What right did he have to be with this girl? She deserved so much more than the questionable love of a man many people said _had_ no heart; a man with nothing to show for himself, and nothing to offer her. But most of all, Folken couldn't think of any good reason that he had to be with her, except to protect her. Definitely not for love that was most likely unrequited.

As he watched her sleep, trying to sort out these thoughts, Folken saw the smile vanish from her face and her relaxed visage contort. She rolled over and mumbled something incomprehensible. Seconds later, she rolled back and mumbled again, this time louder.

". . . can't . . . sssssisn't happening . . . hmmm . . . don't! . . ."

Folken got up and leaned over to her, his own troubles suddenly replaced by worry. "Hitomi?" he whispered.

"Mmmm . . . no . . . you can't! . . . hnnnn . . ."

He gently shook her shoulder. "Hitomi?" he asked more insistently.

"Stop! . . . nnnnnuh . . . no!"

-x-X-x-X-x-

_. . .The demon, her face splashed in warm blood, snickered. "Don't forget, you made this. You made me." The demon gripped the pendant between two hooked talons and ripped the chain apart. She licked her crimson stained fingers. "I love that taste . . ."_

A voice on the outside yanked Hitomi out of the nightmare before the demon could go any farther. Her eyes snapped open and she jolted up with a gasp.

"Folken!" she cried upon waking, clutching a hand to her chest and feeling her heart beat rapidly. She was shaking, only able to draw short, rasping breaths, and her eyes were wide with fear.

"Are you all right?"

Hitomi turned to Folken, whose voice and presence she hadn't expected so close, and looked up to see him standing over to her, his face filled with distress.

"What happened?" he asked.

Hitomi took a deep breath, trying to calm the raging fear. "I think I was having a vision."

He sat down beside her, and she felt his shoulder brush against hers. It sent a shiver down her spine. "Of what?"

Hitomi looked out at the iron bars enclosing the cell. "Something terrible . . . I was looking down at myself standing in the middle of a dark room like this. It was freezing cold . . . like Death. It was so real." She started to shake harder as she recalled the vivid details. "Y-you were there . . . I think we talked, or s-something, because my other self took off h-her--my--pendant . . ."

She bit her lip--so hard she tasted the metallic tang of blood on her tongue. The memory it triggered made her want to be sick. "Sh-she--I--swung the pendant and . . ." A horrified look filled Hitomi's visage. "She k-killed you!"

Hitomi leaned forward, hiding her face in her hands, and began to cry. "I couldn't do anything. I tried to stop her, but she didn't listen. She just laughed at me! I couldn't do anything," she sobbed. "I can't believe I could ever do such a thing! I'm a selfish person sometimes, I know, but I'd never kill anyone!"

Hitomi rambled on without rest or reason, not fully comprehending what she was saying, or bothering to stop and think about it. It was as if some barrier in her mind had broken and everything just poured out. "I know it was just a dream, but what if it comes true? I've dreamed things before that came true later. This can't come out like that! I mean, I love you and I couldn't stand to lose you! I . . ." Suddenly, as her words sank in, and the agitated monologue came to an immediate halt.

The cell went quiet. Hitomi felt a violent blush burn her cheeks and kept her face covered to conceal it.

"You . . . love me?" Folken's voice was filled with awe, and so quiet that she almost didn't hear it. With her deep scarlet blush, and no courage with which to meet his eyes, Hitomi nodded.

"I just . . . I . . . I . . ." Words failed her. Everything she wanted to say came out jumbled and meaningless. It was amazing--she had been babbling on so clearly only a moment ago, and here she was now, unable to speak at all.

How had this simple relationship gotten so far? Friendship between them was one thing, but love? When did they both suddenly start to care so much? As if their circumstances weren't complicated enough already, now throw in one more mixed-up emotion and see what comes out. The thought of love, of what exactly Folken meant to her, had been on Hitomi's mind for a while, but she had never acknowledged it before now.

There had to be a logical reason behind all this. It wasn't worth anything for Folken to love her. She was so selfish, she caused so many problems, and hurt so many people. Eventually, she would do more even damage, and end up ruining his life. It was a hopeless situation. She was hopeless. Nothing good could possibly come from her presence.

But all of these worries were the farthest from Hitomi's mind. She had confessed that she love him--what was she supposed to say _now_? But as it turned out, she didn't need to say anything at all.

Folken spoke first, his hand lightly touching her shoulder. She flinched involuntarily, and he removed it. "Are you afraid?" he asked quietly.

Her trembling worsened, but her tears, for the most part, had stopped. "Yes . . . a little." Somehow, Hitomi couldn't find it in her heart to lie.

"I can't say you shouldn't be. In all honesty, I don't know." He took a deep breath and exhaled. "I want to say it will turn out all right . . . because I love you too, but . . ." He hesitated. "I'm afraid, too."

Hitomi slowly lifted her head, finally looking at him. Folken reached out again with his mechanical right hand, and lightly touched her cheek. This time, she didn't move. Slowly, he drew the tips of his fingers down along her jaw and under her chin, tracing the delicate shape. She took in a sharp breath as he leaned down, placing a soft kiss lightly on her cheek, then one on the other. But as he drew back a little to kiss her lips, he met her eyes and hesitated, as if suddenly remembering himself.

"I'm sorry," said Folken, lowering his gaze. "This isn't my place. I do love you, even though I know I shouldn't. I don't believe things were meant to happen like this."

His words lent her no reassurance. "I don't get it." A fresh tear rolled down Hitomi's cheek as she spoke. "I thought people in love were supposed to be happy and carefree, but that's not how I feel. Here I am seeing you die in my dreams and not being able to do a thing to save you. How is that love?"

"It was just a dream. You shouldn't dwell on it." Folken sighed. "Besides, you may think it's a vision, but it isn't. You won't be the one to kill me."

Hitomi looked up at him, her sudden concern outweighing her embarrassment.

"A reaction of fate has shortened my life. It has nothing to do with you. No one can live in this forsaken place for long without it altering them," he explained, referring to Zaibach, in a voice that was suddenly cold and hard. "Fate is unstable here."

"You're dying?" she asked. "How do you know?"

He stood and turned away from her, unclasping his shirt. A pair of jet black wings grew from his shoulder blades, raining shadowy feathers to the ground in their wake. Hitomi remembered first seeing them when they met in Fanelia, and thinking how alike Van and Folken's wings were--both strong and graceful, sunlight glistening on the layers of silky black or white feathers.

But now, something had happened to Folken's wings. They looked weak and crumpled, losing feathers at a miraculous rate. Hitomi reached down and picked up a couple. Their once shining colour had since dulled.

"Your wings . . ." she said without looking up.

Folken nodded. "They're deteriorating. It's a sign I'm going to die. I plan to use my life to kill Dornkirk and release Gaea from his influence." He sighed and slumped down to the floor, as if the weight of his self-imposed destiny was crushing him. "Before I met you, I was ready to die. But now, I don't know how I'll ever be able to let you go."

Hitomi got up, realizing for the first time that he was a lot like her. He carried a destiny that was too much for him to bear alone. His pain--the hopeless, empty feeling that came with the knowledge that he would soon die--was the same pain Hitomi felt when she could not keep her power from destroying everything around her. Suddenly, she understood why he was the way he was, why he acted the way he did, and that she couldn't stand to see him like this.

"I get it now," said Hitomi, shaking her head as she knelt beside him. Folken turned to her. "I was wrong yesterday, about everything. I'm not the only person who's ever had to deal with life alone, and I can't say I have it so bad when I think about how much you've been through. Running away isn't going to keep me from hurting people." She took a deep breath. "And no one is better off alone. If I really am the key to Gaea's fate, and I really _can_ change it, then we won't have to part."

She closed her eyes and leaned against him. Hesitantly, Folken put his arms around her small frame, waiting for her reaction, but none came. Hitomi was asleep again, her lack of sleep during their flight from Fanelia to Zaibach had finally caught up with her.

Awake, Hitomi was a strong and formidable person, but asleep, an innocent, childlike side of her came out, a side that few people had ever seen. She curled up against him with one of her arms resting against his chest, clutching a few of his feathers in her fist. Her breathing lapsed into a slow, sleeping pattern. She was so gentle, and the burdens placed on her were too much to carry without faltering a little.

_She deserves someone so much better . . . someone stronger . . . someone who can really protect her . . . and she's stuck with me._

He knew it could never happen, but Folken longed to be able to stay in this moment forever and protect her from her fate. Then she could go on with her life and never feel such deep pain again.

_I'll have to do the best I can to keep her safe until she finds someone better . . ._

To this desire, his broken wings encircled them, closing them off from everything in a tiny place all their own. There, no other people existed, no dreams or visions could torment them, and for one single, all too short moment, no fate could break them apart.

-x-X-x-X-x-

_"Unlock your heart,  
Drop your guard,  
No one's left to stop you now . . ."_  
-Evanescence, "Anywhere"

-x-X-x-X-x-

**TO BE CONTINUED . . .**

-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-


	14. Chapter 13: Still Frame

**Disclaimer:** _Tenkuu no Escaflowne_ is property of Bandai and Sunrise, all rights reserved. I am in no way affiliated with these companies, or any legal proceedings concerning _Tenkuu no Escaflowne_. This story has been written purely out of enjoyment, and is not intended to make a profit, steal ideas, or offend anybody. Any similarities between my work and anyone else's is purely coincidental. "Still Frame" song lyrics are property of Trapt, all rights reserved. 

-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-

**_"Anywhere"_ -- Chapter 13: Still Frame**

By The Last Princess of Hyrule

-x-X-x-X-x-

_"So lost, I'm just as lost as you,  
Oh well, what am I going to do?  
I'm afraid I'm falling farther away,  
From where I want to be,  
Please help me 'cause I'm breaking down,  
This picture's frozen and I can't get out,  
Please help me 'cause I'm breaking down,  
This picture's frozen and I can't get out of here . . ."_  
-Trapt, "Still Frame"

-x-X-x-X-x-

There is a depth of sleep that reaches beyond the level of dreams; a place where it seems you aren't breathing, or even living anymore. In this sleep, death wraps around you like a warm blanket and takes you gently, rather than when it is an icy river tearing you away from the world when you're awake. Hitomi slept here, in this deep peace that was second only to death, and only death itself could bring her out.

_"Hitomi . . ."_

Or perhaps not death, but a spirit from that place. The word it spoke rippled through Hitomi's mind like a light summer breeze--one swift breath and it was gone.

_"Hitomi . . . Wake up, dear Hitomi . . ."_

The gentle voice pulled Hitomi up, up through the deep folds of death-like sleep until she was almost awake. Her consciousness was in a place in her mind where there was no difference between imaginary and reality. It was here that Yuri spoke to her granddaughter.

_"Hitomi . . ."_ Yuri called. _"I'm so glad I was able to find your spirit. This world hasn't been kind to you, has it? The weight of your fate strains your very soul. If only you could stay here and rest, with only this man who cares about you so much and loves you so well. If you hadn't found this peace, even though you have only been here such a short time, you would have been too far gone for me to reach."_

She sighed and her words became tired and regretful. _"I wish I could let you stay like this until you have fully recovered, but the time has come for you to fulfill your destiny. I'm afraid I must bring you back . Wake up, dear Hitomi, wake up . . ."_

-x-X-x-X-x-

"Girl . . ." someone hissed through the cell bars. "Girl, wake up . . ."

Slowly, Hitomi forced herself to open her eyes, though they felt leaden, and her only desire was to sleep for eternity. At first, the world was distorted and out of focus, but she could make out the vague shape of a person in red outside of the cell. She blinked her eyes several times, and everything came into focus. The person standing there was not who she expected. _Dilandau . . . ?_

"Come on, Girl, wake up," he called quietly, looking around as he did. "I can't wait around here all day."

She felt Folken stir and saw him open his eyes. He noticed Dilandau as Hitomi got up.

"Finally," said Dilandau with an exasperated sigh. "Get over here and I'll let you out."

"You're here to let us go?" she asked.

"Yes, yes," he insisted impatiently. "Now, come on."

Hitomi hesitated and turned back to Folken, who was adjusting his shirt and said nothing. His black wings had faded away, leaving no trace of their existence except for the feathers she still held in her hand. Her fingers closed around them and Hitomi turned back to Dilandau.

"Why are you doing this?"

He shoved the key in the lock and turned it. "It was just some stupid thing Celena told me. Can we get going?"

"Celena?"

"Long story, no time to explain." The lock made a clunking sound and fell open. Dilandau pulled it off and swung open the door.

"How can we trust you?" asked Folken.

Dilandau shrugged. "I wouldn't know. That's all up to you. But I wouldn't think too hard about it. Either I'm lying or I'm not, and either way it gets you out of the cell."

_"You should trust him, Hitomi."_

Dilandau noticed Hitomi's expression fill with shock. He gave her a suspicious look, but refrained from comment.

_Is someone there?_ She asked herself, trying by the only means she knew to reach someone she thought might be in her mind. _Are you the one who spoke to me before, when I was in Tenue?_

_"No. You know me, but I'm not who you think I am."_ There was a smile to the voice's words, and their tone was comforting. _"It was Celena you heard in Egzardia. My name is Yuri."_

"Hurry up!" Dilandau's voice startled Hitomi back to reality. He and Folken were outside the cell waiting for her. "They're going to be after you as soon as they find out you're gone. We shouldn't hang around."

Hitomi came out glaring. "My name's not Girl, it's Hitomi. And I'm not some object of power you can control. Tricking me and taking me captive won't get you anywhere."

"No shit," said Dilandau. "I don't plan to."

She stroked the feathers distractedly with her thumb. "All right. Let's go."

Dilandau pulled the keys out of the lock and started down the corridor without pausing to see that they followed. Folken waited, touching Hitomi's shoulder. "Is something wrong?"

She shook her head. "I'm fine. Just . . ."

"Don't worry too much about him," Folken said reassuringly. "You said yourself you wouldn't be controlled."

_"Yes, dear Hitomi, have faith in yourself,"_ Yuri chimed as they turned down the hall to follow Dilandau.

_You sound really familiar,_ Hitomi observed. _Have we met?_

Suddenly, an image appeared before her that could have been a mirror. It was as if Hitomi was looking at herself, or perhaps the picture her mother had shown Hitomi of her grandmother at age fifteen. Mrs. Kanzaki's mother as a teenager had the same green eyes as Hitomi now, the same brown hair but in braids, the same height, build, and even the same smile. Were it not for fifty years between them, the two could have been twins.

Hitomi stopped. _Grandma . . . ?_

The apparition smiled.

Folken noticed Hitomi's absence and turned back. "Hitomi?" Yuri's image vanished as he spoke. Hitomi shook her head and hurried to catch up with him. "What happened?"

"I saw something just now--my grandmother when she was my age. She's speaking to me."

"Saying what?"

_"I'm trying to tell you something important about your fate,"_ said Yuri.

"Something about my fate," Hitomi repeated.

_"Stop the man with the silver hair. You need his help."_

"Dilandau, wait!" Hitomi suddenly called ahead of her. She jogged forward, not sure he heard her--she could no longer see him up ahead. Confused, Folken followed.

Hitomi turned a corner and found Dilandau waiting for her. "Try to keep it quiet," he snapped. "Just because we haven't run into any soldiers doesn't mean we won't." He turned to continue on, but Hitomi stopped him.

"Wait. Tell me why you let us free."

"Can't we talk about this _later_?"

"No, now."

Dilandau sighed. "Like I said, it was just something Celena told me that made me change my mind. She said no one's totally good or evil, because at least one time in your life, you're both. It was a stupid idea to let you be captured in the first place. Besides, I realized it wasn't going to do any of us any good." He smiled, no longer noticing Hitomi or Folken. "Besides, Celena wants me to be a better person and I . . . I kind of want that too. She makes me want to be better than I am."

_"Young people in love are so adorable,"_ Yuri said wistfully. _"When they're thinking about their special someone, the whole world seems to disappear."_

"Who is this Celena?" asked Hitomi.

Dilandau snapped back to reality at the sound of her voice, and his smile vanished. "She's . . . she's an Asturian who came to Zaibach about ten years ago. She's a guymelef pilot on the _Delate_."

_"Celena was kidnapped as a child and sold off to be experimented on by the Zaibach Sorcerers. They used a mix of science and madness to alter her fate. Dilandau isn't completely real. He was created by the Sorcerers during these fate alteration experiments to change the course of Celena's life. Dilandau and Celena are separate souls, but they're both trapped in the same body."_

_They're what?_ asked Hitomi in astonishment. _How do you know? How is that even possible?_

_"I'm not sure how it works,"_ said Yuri, _"but I know it does. I know because I can read some of Dilandau's thoughts, just like I can read yours. He and Celena seem to be able to use a form of telepathy to speak to each other, like how we are, but slightly different. Their exchange is more like a cross of telepathy and internal thought--only the two of them are able to hear it."_

Hitomi looked confused. _Why do I need Dilandau's help? What exactly is happening with my fate?_

_"It is time for you to meet the man who is trying to control Gaea's fate."_

_I already have._ Hitomi shuddered.

_"I know, but now you must face him to stop the fate alterations at all costs. I know how much of a burden this is for you, my dear Hitomi, but it's the reason you were brought to this planet,"_ Yuri explained.

_And what about Dilandau?_

_"If you are successful against the emperor, all the unnatural fates on Gaea will cease to exist, including Dilandau. Had Celena's consciousness never awakened in him and they hadn't grown together the way they have, death would be nothing to him. You cannot deny him, nor anyone else who has been tainted by Zaibach's meddling, the chance to live. You must find a way to preserve their lives from the unraveling of fate."_

"Hitomi?"

Someone outside her mind calling her name brought Hitomi's focus back to Folken and Dilandau.

"I . . . I have to face Dornkirk . . . and reset all the fate alterations Zaibach has made." Her face was pale, and the thought of seeing the emperor again made her stomach twist up inside. She swallowed and asked, "Where is he?"

"About five floors up and quite a ways that way." Dilandau pointed ahead. "I'll lead you." They started off.

As they walked, Hitomi's focus returned to her grandmother. _What am I going to have to do?_

_"The only way to disrupt the flow of fate is with the flow of Time,"_ said Yuri.

_How?_ Hitomi asked.

_"You've noticed your ability to call souls of the dead back to life for a short period of time, right?"_

Hitomi nodded, even though Yuri couldn't see it. _Yeah._

_"Use that power to call forth those whose deaths were caused by or resulted from some aspect of the fate alterations. The time lines of their lives were disrupted, so the flow of time that it linked to them is also disrupted. Fate can only continue as long as Time remains steady for it. When the souls converge upon the Fate Alteration Engine, these broken time lines will cause it to overload and malfunction. That will set everything back to normal."_

_How can you be so sure?_

_"I have watched the happenings in Zaibach since I first learned to see Gaea through the pendant's power."_ Yuri sounded almost smug. _"I know more about fate alteration than even the emperor himself."_

Hitomi touched her pendant. _You could see Gaea through this?_

_"It holds many powers, even some I still don't completely understand,"_ Yuri confessed. _"But it lent me the ability to understand fate and see into the future."_ She laughed. _"Don't be asking me to tell you what happens to you. Once I tell you your fate, a new one will take its place, and that new one will most likely turn out to be worse than the first."_

Hitomi frowned. _How is your power any different from using Tarot cards to tell the future? Aren't they the same thing? Any future I've foretold has always come true no matter who I told it to._

Yuri smiled. _"That's a very good question. Tarot cards only give you symbols of a future, which you must then try to decode them in order to understand what will happen. Most Tarot readers will make mistakes in their readings, and foretell something that won't actually come to pass. I see futures like they were movie reels. _

"Tarot readings are really only speculation," she went on. _"No matter how good you are at it, you can never be completely sure the futures you foretell will come true. Sometimes, even though you know exactly what will happen in the future, fate will alter it so that something different comes to pass. I don't know exactly why this happens. I think fate just has a twisted sense of humor."_

-x-X-x-X-x-

Yuri didn't speak again until they arrived at Dornkirk's chamber. It was designed like a giant observatory, but many times larger to scale. It looked empty when they entered. The room was dark, quiet, and still. Massive objects rose up from the sea of shadows--cold, angular forms whose purposes Hitomi did not want to know. She tried to ignore them.

As they walked deeper into the room, a gust of foul air made Hitomi cough and shiver, even though she was still wearing Folken's black cloak. Above her, the ceiling had a large rectangular viewing window cut in it that was always open, exposing the chronically overcast sky and letting in the frigid outdoor air.

Hitomi wrinkled her nose in disgust. "It smells awful in here. Like some creature died somewhere in here months ago and no one has gotten rid of it," she whispered to Folken, trying to distract herself from the knot of fear that had settled in her stomach and only seemed to be getting bigger as destiny loomed over them.

He said nothing. The expression on his face told her that this was the last place on Gaea he wanted to be, and even less wanted to talk about.

"Is this _really_ where we're going to find the emperor?" she asked.

Suddenly the room flooded with synthetic yellow light, and Hitomi shrieked. Steam whooshed up from several generators as they turned on and started to screech and rumble. A giant object beside her that Hitomi had mistaken for a telescope suddenly lit up and began to spin. At its eyepiece was a mountainous steel machine that encased the body of a frail old man. But even under the lengths of gray hair and brittle features, Hitomi could see that he, like King Ezara, was a man of great power and influence.

Emperor Dornkirk looked down on the three startled expressions below him. "So, the Girl from the Mystic Moon appears before me again. I have been waiting for you." He noticed the distress that filled Hitomi's visage. "Yes, I foresaw that you would arrive here with a Dragon, but not the Dragon I was expecting."

Trying to ignore the emperor's words, Hitomi took off her pendant and held it out in front of her. She just wanted her miserable task to be over as quickly as possible. She closed her eyes and prepared to call to the dead, but Dornkirk's low, cold laugh stopped her and she opened her eyes.

"You're mistaken if you think you can destroy me with that," he said with complete confidence. "You will not be able to undo all the altered fates without destroying everything they've affected. Your hands are already stained with the deaths of hundreds of innocents in Asturia. Will you wash them again in blood with the lives of all Gaea?" Even from far away, she saw the knowing glare in his eyes. "For all of Gaea has been affected by altered fate."

Hitomi's heart began to race, remembering the desecration of Palas. She couldn't let her power do that to the rest of Gaea. Why did the balance of so many lives have to be placed in her hands? She wasn't capable of protecting them all. If she had that kind of power, no one would have died in the attack on Palas, and she wouldn't have ended up at the heart of Zaibach faced with such a challenge.

"A single emotion, such as fear, can tip the passage of fate," said Dornkirk.

_A single emotion . . ._ She looked beside her at Folken, who was watching the emperor with a cold glare. A single emotion was the difference between acting on this chance to rid Gaea of controlled fate, and cowering in fear at the possibility of letting more people die. Yet, while fear drained away her confidence, as she watched Folken, somehow her love for him restored it. Memories of her time with him, though each so short and bittersweet, resonated in her heart and gave her a source of strength.

"Fear can make you forget everything you're trying to do," Hitomi found herself saying, "but love can help you remember."

Dornkirk's mouth stretched in a wicked grin, and his deep, rumbling laugh turned into an echoing thunder. "The gravity of love is more a source of pain for you than strength, isn't it? You were right to believe you would be the one to kill your Dragon, because if you try to reset fate, you will."

-x-X-x-X-x-

"That's a lie," Folken shouted with an intensity he had never before expressed. "That's a lie and you can't make her believe it's true!"

"I think she already does."

Folken turned back to Hitomi. The confidence burning in her eyes only a moment before had vanished without a trace, leaving them wide and full of fear. One hand covered her mouth and the other clenched her pendant in a white shaking fist. Her entire body was trembling.

"Hitomi!"

"It isn't possible . . ." she whispered, her haunting eyes staring right through him. "How could he possibly know . . . ?"

"Hitomi, it isn't true." Folken grabbed her shoulders, but she didn't even blink. "You know that isn't going to happen. You aren't going to kill anyone! Hitomi! Hitomi, snap out of it!"

Her terrified face was frozen.

"Hitomi!" Tears came to his eyes. "Hitomi!"

"Can't you see she's fading away?" asked Dornkirk in a mock sympathetic tone. "You were never going to be able to protect her. It is not your path in life to be helping our enemies." He sneered. "Or loving them for that matter."

"My fate isn't restricted to Zaibach." Folken closed his eyes against the tears and slowly turned around. "Fate is not meant to be controlled."

"Ah, that is where you are wrong," said the emperor in a wise tone Folken saw through instantly. "Everything that exists in the world is meant to be ruled by something more powerful than it, whether that thing is simply another creature, or fate itself. While I control fate, I am the most powerful being of all."

"That's ridiculous." The silvery, scorning voice drew their attentions to Dilandau, who had been silent up until that moment.

-x-X-x-X-x-

Dilandau's gaze was locked on the floor, and his head bowed. In his right hand he had drawn his sword, and held it out before him with the point brushing the ground.

"There isn't any way a mortal person can possibly control something that goes on forever," said Dilandau. "As soon as you die, fate will go back to the way it's supposed to be."

"No mortal, yes," Dornkirk agreed. "But I am no mortal man. I have lived for hundreds of years, seen countless eras rise and fall on this planet, all long past a man's normal lifespan. I am immortal."

Dilandau looked up and met the emperor's gaze with fire in his eyes. "Like a god?" He spat out the words with disgust.

"Yes. Gods create worlds, build civilizations, and give life and religion to the populace. I raised this country of Zaibach out of the mud of Gaea's neglect and gave its people order. I taught them about money, mercantilism, science, and agriculture. I taught them to follow me, and to believe in everything I said. I have done the same as any god ever did, so therefore I must be a god."

The blade twitched in Dilandau's hand. "Since when does that allow you to mess with someone else's life?" He narrowed his burning glare.

"That is a god's right."

That was when Dilandau heard Celena's voice, and it rang louder in his mind than ever before. /No! Dilandau, don't! Don't kill him!/

/./Give me one good reason././

/I can't let you take the risk and die! If you're gone, then I'll be alone, and by all that I love, I can't stand to be alone!/

/./But if I kill him, you'll be safe././ Dilandau argued. /./Would you just let me protect you?/./

/No! For once, would you listen to me?! Save yourself and don't fight him! Drop your sword!/ She broke into tears, her wailing resonating through his mind. /Please, Dilandau, drop it!/

A flash of artificial light reflected across the blade as it clattered to the floor with a metallic clang. Dilandau fell to his knees beside it, raking his fingers through his hair and yanking off his gold circlet. The circlet was a sign of his military status, his crown of achievement and recognition in the Zaibach army that he had worked so hard to attain. In disgust, he threw it as far away as he could, and it flew into a patch of shadows where he couldn't see it fall.

-x-X-x-X-x-

"So another falls," said Dornkirk, his hollow eyes watching Dilandau with disdain. "Unable to bear the load of his fate. You, Folken, have never been one to shy away from yours. That is why I trusted you. You and I are alike."

Folken shook his head, scowling. "You're wrong. We have nothing in common. I know where I stand when it comes to my place in fate's plan, but you don't accept yours."

"No, I understand my place very well. I shall rule over fate, and everything in existence will conform to my will."

Folken knelt beside Dilandau and reached for the sword. "You say that everything is ruled by something more powerful. After all, that is how the world works." His fingers closed around the cold hilt and he stood up. "So what rules over you?"

The hint of mockery that had been ever-present in Dornkirk's words vanished. "Nothing."

Folken closed his eyes, and drew in a breath of stagnant air that chilled his lungs. "This is why Gaea is doomed never to come to peace. We're cursed forever by the desire to control that which we do not or should not control. This is why there is fate--to keep the balance of control from shifting too much or too little in one being's favor. But when that balance falls apart, the world loses its order."

"Then I will alter fate to recreate the lost order," said Dornkirk. "You underestimate my abilities, Folken."

Folken finally looked up. "No, you overestimate them. There is something stronger than fate. You know what it is--I learned it from you."

"Time." Dornkirk's eyes narrowed, and his lips all but disappeared in a frown. "The essence of Time controls the flow of fate, and a broken time line disrupts fate's current."

Folken unclasped his shirt and let it fall around his waist. In a mist of feathers, his crumpled black wings grew from his shoulder blades, and with visible effort, he opened them to their full length.

"A person's mortal fate is one that cannot be changed or escaped," Dornkirk continued, "but it is also one impossible to foretell. It is fate that determines one's end, but if a life is subject to an alteration of fate, then an alternate end will fall into place. In either case, that end will only be recognized when it is upon you."

-x-X-x-X-x-

_"An alteration of fate . . ."_

The words resonated in Hitomi's mind.

-x-X-x-X-x-

Folken's eyes narrowed, and he held out his sword toward the emperor. The thought of death, of all those who had died in Fanelia, Asturia, and all over Gaea because of Dornkirk's altered fate, filled the cold hollows of his heart with vengeance. Vengeance for Hitomi, whose life was constant suffering because of the changed fates, and whose love he wished to fill those hollows if he could. For all those his association with Dornkirk had slain before their time. For Gaea. He would give his life so no more would lose theirs.

"For everyone your unnatural fate has killed, you will recognize your mortal end."

-x-X-x-X-x-

_"Time controls the flow of fate. . ."_

Hitomi heard Folken's heart thump.

_"It is fate that determines one's end . . ."_

She blinked and saw the world again through living, conscious eyes, instead of the statue fear had frozen her into.

_"But it is also one impossible to foretell . . ."_

"Hitomi . . ." whispered the chill of death. "Hitomi . . ."

_"Fate is not meant to be controlled . . ."_

-x-X-x-X-x-

The taste of revenge would be sweet, as sweet as Hitomi's lips, and Folken was destined to taste the luscious nectar of one, but never the other.

-x-X-x-X-x-

_"I want to say it will turn out all right . . . because I love you too . . ."_

"I love you . . ." Hitomi whispered. "I love you . . ."

High in the dark sky above the observatory chamber, the clouds began to shift and rumble, crashing over each other in a torrential commotion. Beams of solid, dazzling sunlight shot through them, as if heaven's archers were firing their arrows upon the empire. In her forgotten left hand, as Folken leapt into the air with the intent to strike down the emperor, the blood red stone of her pendant blazed into life with such a blinding flash as Zaibach hadn't seen since the first dawn of Dornkirk's coming.

-x-X-x-X-x-

_"We're leaving here tonight,  
There's need to tell anyone,  
They'd only hold us down . . ."_  
-Evanescence, "Anywhere"

-x-X-x-X-x-

**TO BE CONTINUED . . .**

-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-


	15. Chapter 14: Whisper

**Disclaimer:** _Tenkuu no Escaflowne_ is property of Bandai and Sunrise, all rights reserved. I am in no way affiliated with these companies, or any legal proceedings concerning _Tenkuu no Escaflowne_. This story has been written purely out of enjoyment, and is not intended to make a profit, steal ideas, or offend anybody. Any similarities between my work and anyone else's is purely coincidental. "Whisper" song lyrics are property ofEvanescence, all rights reserved. 

-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-

**_"Anywhere"_ -- Chapter 14: Whisper**

By The Last Princess of Hyrule

-x-X-x-X-x-

_"Catch me as I fall,  
Say you're here and it's all over now,  
Speaking to the atmosphere,  
No one's here and I fall into myself,  
This truth drives me,  
Into madness,  
I know I can stop the pain,  
If I will it all away,  
If I will it all away . . ."_  
-Evanescence, "Whisper"

-x-X-x-X-x-

_So many are already dead because of a change in fate that wasn't meant to exist._ Hitomi felt the world begin to slow, as if Time itself was reducing its pace. _I've tried to change fate several times, and every time people who shouldn't have died, did. The only way to repair the fate of Gaea is to change it again and let more people die._

Everything stopped, and Hitomi found herself frozen amidst a still frame of the world. Time had paused.

_This is the story of the world, isn't it?_ Her gaze lingered where Folken and Dornkirk were frozen. _Everyone fighting to be the most powerful. It's in our nature, this thirst for blood. It's our fate._

She closed her eyes and tilted her head upward, rolling her neck in a tired fashion. _Dornkirk hasn't ever truly controlled all of fate. A part of it has been controlling him all this time in his desire to rule it. And yet it couldn't--or didn't--stop him from manipulating other parts of fate. _

"Maybe that's because fate is not as powerful as everyone thinks."

Hitomi opened her eyes, and the image of her grandmother as a young girl appeared before her.

_"I was your age when I first came to Gaea,"_ said Yuri. _"It was with the power of that pendant that brought me. But it wasn't because it was fate that I came here. It was because the love a man named Leon had for me was so strong that it could cross between worlds and bring us together."_

Yuri turned and looked at Folken. Hitomi saw a wispy tear glistening as it rolled down her translucent cheek. _"Our emotions are so strong. If we wanted, we could even arrange the heavens at our will. The people of Atlantis knew this power. That's why they created those pendants, so that they easily could channel their emotions into a type of usable magic."_

Yuri sighed. _"The Atlanteans had such strong wills and solid beliefs that this was possible. With their strong minds they could use the wishes of their hearts to work wonders. But, if any hesitation existed in their minds, anything less than a pure wish, the pendants didn't work."_

She turned back to her granddaughter. _"You, Hitomi, are able to do the great things you do because your mind is strong and confident enough to make it work. The pendant by itself doesn't have any amazing or miraculous powers. The only magic it has is to focus the mind's ability to transform thought into substance."_

"Then there's no fate," Hitomi said aloud. "Is there? Isn't that what you're trying to say? Fate didn't bring you to Gaea, and fate didn't destroy Atlantis."

_"There has never been fate,"_ Yuri confessed. _"There have only been people wishing to blame something other than themselves for their shortcomings."_

"If there isn't any fate, then there's not really anything to believe in." Hitomi walked forward past her grandmother, and reached up to Folken. Her hand lightly brushed his. "It's like there isn't even any God anymore. We really _are_ alone in this world. There's nothing watching over us."

_"Hitomi . . ."_

"You know, they say there's bliss in ignorance." Hitomi held up her other hand and clasped them both around Folken's. "But I've never been meant to feel like that, have I?"

_"Hitomi, you expect to be able to protect all of Gaea yourself. That's why you're always so frustrated with yourself--because you keep failing. But you were chosen to change Gaea's fate, not save it's people. You cannot expect yourself to protect the lives of_ all_ the people on this planet. That's impossible. You can only do what you must do, and that is to destroy the control over fate."_

"What does that matter when there _isn't_ any fate? How can I destroy something controlling something that doesn't exist?"

_"It isn't so much that Dornkirk controls fate, but that he has the power to control Gaea. He uses his wishes to get what he wants the same way you do and the Atlanteans did. With the Power Spot in Freid at his disposal, anything he wishes for, he'll have, because he has no doubt in his mind that it'll be granted to him. He has the power that the Atlanteans hid away when they created Gaea, and fate or no fate, he can use it to its full potential."_

Hitomi didn't look convinced. In fact, she wasn't even watching her grandmother. Her eyes were locked on Folken's face, trying to see the reason behind the intensity of his expression.

_"If you believe nothing else,"_ Yuri added, _"then believe this: there may not be fate, but there is still time, and right now it has stopped. You are frozen in a single instant, one split frame out of millions in a single second. When Time resumes, all of this will be over, and you will never remember it. Your doubts in fate will be gone."_

"No." Hitomi shook her head. Her eyes filled with tears. "No, you're lying to me. You're trying to make me believe everything will be better again, and it won't. There is no way things can ever go back to the way they were."

She leaned her forehead against one of her arms, drenching it with tears dripping off her cheeks. "I just can't take any more of this! I'm sick of it! I'm sick of Gaea, and of all the death that's my fault." Hitomi bit her lip and squinted her eyes shut, listening her words echo through the vast room. "God, and more than anything I'm sick of fate!"

_"I hoped you would be."_

Hitomi couldn't see it when Yuri vanished, or when her pendant began to glow.

A ring of white smoke formed around her, made of delicate wisps--like fine strands of fluffy cotton. It circled her, borne by invisible winds that chilled her legs and brought with it tiny flecks of rain. The deathlike smoke bore the cold whisper of, "Hitomi . . . Hitomi . . ."

The chill that the words carried down her spine caused Hitomi to open her eyes. The ring thickened and spun faster, growing larger and larger until it seemed to consume everything in a swirling mass. Faces started to appear, and the forms of people became distinguishable from the shapeless cloud, and just as she started to get dizzy, the spinning stopped.

Grouped around Hitomi stood a ring of many ethereal figures with more spread out behind them, each chalky colored and made of smoke-like substance. The giant observatory room was filled with them.

The one closest behind Hitomi spoke first, his gentle voice familiar. "My lady . . ."

Hitomi turned around and met a pair of delicate blue eyes. "Shesta?"

Shesta smiled. "It's nice to see you again."

"What is this?" Hitomi turned in a slow circle to get another sweeping look at the sudden crowd. "Who are all these people?"

"You were looking for all the dead whose lives were ended prematurely by fate alteration to destroy the Atlantis Machine," Shesta answered looking somewhat smug. "Here we are."

"How can there possibly be so many?" Hitomi asked. "Fate doesn't even exist."

The smiled vanished from his face. "You're one of the only people on Gaea who believes that. Your grandmother told you that things are real because people _believe_ in them. The fact that Gaea believes in fate makes it real."

"She said only the people of Atlantis had the power to make thoughts real with their beliefs."

"You misunderstood. As long as there isn't any doubt in a person's mind, their faith can make their wishes real. That's why fate is so strong here, because everybody believes it. Fate isn't concrete like the laws of science, but because we believe in it, it exists."

"That's why I was brought here, isn't it?" said Hitomi. "So I could be stuck with all you other loonies who think fate is real."

"Fate _is_ real," Shesta assured her. It was obvious that he wasn't very entertained by their discussion. "Your belief in fate was--is--much stronger than ours because you have the power of your pendant to focus it. You can change what Zaibach is doing to it. That's why you were brought here. The people that didn't want to see fate be controlled wished for a way to put things back to the way they should be."

"And so they got me."

Shesta's eyes narrowed in concentration. "You doubt your faith. I hope that soon you can gain it back. Regardless of what you think, this world _is_ governed by fate and the belief in its power. It's as real as I am standing here." He paused to think about what he said and smiled. "Well, maybe that isn't the best analogy."

Hitomi tried to smile, but her heart felt heavy with guilt. She no longer knew what to do, much less to believe in. She wasn't sure that she believed in fate anymore after what her grandmother said, but if she didn't believe in it, then Gaea would suffer under Dornkirk's fate alterations forever, or whatever they were.

"Don't you believe the emperor can control fate?"

Hitomi turned to the sound of Naria's voice as the silver cat-woman stepped forward. She didn't answer.

"Well? You've seen it before," said Naria. "You know what he can do with that power he's got. If it isn't fate he's controlling, then what is it? There's nothing else on Gaea nearly powerful enough to do the things he's doing."

"And we would know," added Eriya, stepping out from the crowd to stand by her sister. "Zaibach searched for that ultimate source of power in Freid for many years so it could control Gaea, probably even since the empire was formed."

"But there's no such thing as fate," whispered Hitomi.

"Oh, bull_shit._" Eriya rolled her eyes. "Your grandmother told you that? Has it ever occurred to you that she might be wrong? I don't know about things on the Mystic Moon, but here on Gaea, fate is one of those things you just don't argue with. It exists, we all know it, so get up and move on with your life."

"Eriya, that was harsh," said Naria.

"It's the truth." Eriya looked at Hitomi with her expression cold and unfeeling. "This isn't the time to be moping around and doubting yourself."

Hitomi covered her face with her hands, shame and guilt making her face red. The other souls were talking too now, everyone shouting their opinions of fate at Hitomi and each other. Everything they said seemed to contradict what Yuri had told Hitomi. Havocked noise engulfed the room, each voice too loud and meshing into the ones around it, making the roar nonsensical.

_Why can't I just talk to someone on this planet who makes sense?_ Hitomi thought desperately. _I wish everyone would just shut up and leave me alone!_

Suddenly, the room went silent. Hitomi opened her eyes and looked around. The chamber was empty again, save for her, the people frozen in Time, and Shesta. He watched her with a look bordering between bemusement and incredulity.

"Where'd everybody go?" he asked.

"I wished for them to leave, and they did," Hitomi said.

"And you don't believe in fate." He shook his head. "You know, it was your faith that your wish would come true that allowed it to. What is it your grandmother would say? 'Keep repeating 'I wish I were' or 'I want to be' and it will come true.' Believing in the power of fate will do the same thing--it'll make it real."

Hitomi opened her palm and looked at her pendant as she reflected on this.

"Your pendant has little to do with it," said Shesta. "It only acts to focus your wish in order to make it easier to become real."

"Does this mean my grandmother lied to me?" asked Hitomi. "About there being no fate?"

"Not exactly. She told you what she knows about fate on the Mystic Moon. There are so few people there who believe in it that it almost doesn't even exist. Things are a lot different here on Gaea. Our world was _created_ by a wish that became reality, the way your wishes do, so the power of people's beliefs is much stronger here."

"So that's why you stayed behind." Hitomi looked up with a grateful smile. "I just wanted someone sensible to talk to."

Shesta shrugged, blushing a little. "I don't think I told you anything you don't already know. You seemed like you must have just forgotten. No one can force you to believe anything, but I wanted to remind you what you used to believe, and I hope you believe in it again on your own."

"How do you know all this?"

He smiled. "Your grandmother told me."

His smile was calming. It made Hitomi feel the way she did when she was alone in Folken's presence, and the whole world seemed to melt away. In the absence of all the outside noises that seemed to complicate them, her thoughts and beliefs finally came clear. She almost couldn't believe she'd ever doubted them.

"Now I owe you twice," said Hitomi as she closed her eyes and held out the pendant in front of her, letting it dangle. "Talking to you just seems to make everything clear. Now I know what I want to do."

With a swift jerk of her wrist, Hitomi swung her pendant. In her mind, she tried to picture what life would be like if fate were uncontrolled, and she found herself thinking about Folken. Did all her thoughts sway toward him now? Her time with him left her with a feeling that what they had together was not the result of something that controlled their actions, but that they were free to chose their own.

_That's what fate is,_ Hitomi realized. _It's not so much a map of how our lives will be, but a guideline to how our different choices can shape them. That's how Gaea was before the fate alterations happened._

Even though Time was stopped, the swinging pendant continued to beat in perfect seconds. She couldn't feel it, but power was building in the large room, apocalyptic power strong enough to turn the entire city to dust, waiting for Hitomi to release it.

_That's how I wish for it to be again . . ._

A gust of frigid air whooshed past her, and Hitomi opened her eyes. The white souls of the dead reappeared, and their forms melted back together in a churning cloud. They were silent now, but on the faces closest to her, Hitomi could see looks of gratitude. Putting an end to the altered fates would finally let them rest in peace.

As she watched them, Hitomi felt something feathery brush her cheek. She turned back and saw Shesta drawing away from her, his pale face slightly pink with embarrassment. He gave her a small, mischievous smile. "Now we're even."

The cloud of smoke swallowed him up, and amassed around the giant telescope. As this happened, Hitomi suddenly felt a very odd sensation of movement, even though she was standing still. It reminded her of the way one felt on a carnival ride freefalling down to from its highest point where it had balanced for several minutes. It was Time was coming back to the world.

The crystal lenses on the Atlantis Machine, the engine allowing Dornkirk to control fate, began to spin. _Just end it all,_ Hitomi prayed fervently, closing her eyes. _I wish Gaea could return to the way it used to be . . ._

The world moved in slow motion, like watching a movie frame by frame. The lenses on the Atlantis Machine cracked and shattered, the shards of glass drifting slowly to the ground like snowflakes. A rumbling tremor ran through the room, spreading out from the telescope and shaking the entire fortress in rampant cataclysm.

_I wish all the bad fate, and this entire old world, would just crumble away . . ._

The quaking seemed to pass, but a moment later, Hitomi felt it again. Strong vibrations resonated beneath her feet. She looked down and saw a jagged crack form beneath her, and several others coming from different directions to join it. She could hardly comprehend what was happening as the two feet of solid concrete crumbled and fell away from under her feet.

But even though Hitomi knew she was falling, she didn't feel like it. It felt more like she was drifting in a hammock. The fortress was deteriorating quickly, crumbling away around her into a vast ruin; things above her started moving faster, and the world was speeding up as she was pulled down. Then suddenly, everything jumped forward into Time's normal flow.

Hitomi threw out her arms and reached up to grab something as she shot downward, but the world was falling too fast. She flew though a rush of air and debris, her heart pounding uncontrollably with fear. _Stop! I wish I were safe away from here! I wish I were safe!_

But her wishes couldn't take her away.

_"A person's mortal fate is one that cannot be changed or escaped," said the emperor._

_No!_ Hitomi squinted her eyes shut and wished harder. _I'm not going to die! I'll be safe! I believe in fate, I really do, and I know it's not my time to die!_

Maybe it was the fear setting in, but Hitomi almost thought she heard someone calling her. The thought passed out of her mind immediately. She curled her body tightly together, whimpering in hopeless fear, and didn't see the two white feathers drift down past her.

_No more!_ she cried desperately. _Please, just make it stop!_

It did.

-x-X-x-X-x-

_"So by the morning's light,  
We'll be halfway to anywhere,  
Where love is more than just your name . . ."_  
-Evanescence, "Anywhere"

-x-X-x-X-x-

**TO BE CONCLUDED . . .**

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	16. Epilogue: Angel

**Disclaimer:** _Tenkuu no Escaflowne_ is property of Bandai and Sunrise, all rights reserved. I am in no way affiliated with these companies, or any legal proceedings concerning _Tenkuu no Escaflowne_. This story has been written purely out of enjoyment, and is not intended to make a profit, steal ideas, or offend anybody. Any similarities between my work and anyone else's is purely coincidental. "Angel" song lyrics are property ofSarah McLachlan, all rights reserved. 

-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-

**_"Anywhere"_ -- Epilogue: Angel**

By The Last Princess of Hyrule

-x-X-x-X-x-

_"In the arms of the angel,  
Fly away from here,  
From this dark, cold hotel room,  
And the endlessness that you feel,  
You are pulled from the wreckage,  
Of your silent reverie,  
You're in the arms of your angel,  
May you find some comfort here . . ."_  
-Sarah McLachlan, "Angel"

-x-X-x-X-x-

_. . . Suddenly the ground exploded beneath Hitomi's feet and plummeted into a black expanse of nothingness, pulling her down with it. Frigid air rushed upward past her body, biting at savagely at her exposed skin as she tried to scream, but no sound could escape her tightly constricted throat. _

Hitomi shut her eyes against the sight of the ground coming up to meet her, wishing fervently for something to stop her fall. She kept waiting, and waiting, hoping and praying, but nothing happened. And then . . .

Hitomi gasped and sat up in bed, her heart pounding as her mind came out of the nightmare back into reality. Shaking, she placed a hand over her heart and took a few deep breaths.

She was sitting up in a small bed in a farmhouse on the border of Asturia and Zaibach, which had apparently been abandoned by someone who didn't want to live so close to the war front. She had lived there for almost a week without any sign of another person. It almost felt like the little cottage was its own separate world from the rest of Gaea.

Hitomi sighed, trying to put the dream out of her mind. Every night since the downfall of the Zaibach empire, she had been reliving it in her dreams. It couldn't be a prophecy. Aside from the fact that the events of her dream had already taken place, there was no longer a control over fate, and she had saved Gaea. There was nothing for her to prophesize. _It's all over now--the empire, my destiny, all of it. I completed the task I was brought to Gaea to accomplish, so why can't my dreams just leave me alone?_ The door to her room creaked open and Hitomi looked up.

Folken stood in the doorway.

"You're awake," he said, coming in. He looked concerned. "I thought I heard you screaming."

"I'm sorry," Hitomi apologized. "I didn't mean to wake you."

Folken sat down beside her. "Did you have a nightmare?"

She nodded.

"Will you tell me about it?"

Hitomi didn't say anything for a few minutes as she collected her thoughts. "I keep seeing that day in Zaibach when I dream. Everything is so clear--it's like I'm really back there again." She choked back a few traumatic tears. "But every time I get to the part when I'm falling, it's exactly like in any nightmare: I wake up just before I die."

The concern in Folken's expression increased. "But I caught you. I didn't let you die."

"I know," said Hitomi. "But that doesn't happen this time, and I don't understand why." She took in a deep, shaky breath, swallowing her tears, and ran her fingers through her hair. "I shouldn't even be thinking about this anymore. I mean, it's over now, but something just won't leave me alone."

"Maybe it shouldn't."

"What?" Hitomi turned to him.

"Maybe you shouldn't be left alone anymore," Folken repeated, staring out the room's only window, a tiny square of glass looking out on the pitch black night. He didn't dare look at her. "Stop me when this sounds absurd, but I think you're afraid to be alone. Now that things are going back to normal and your powers aren't needed anymore, you're afraid everyone will forget about you. If you really believe that, don't. I'm still here for you." He paused. "If that matters."

Before he could say anything more, Hitomi took his hand and stopped him. "Don't talk like that. Of course it matters to me that you're here. I mean, _I_ wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for you. Not only that, but I _want_ you to be with me." She frowned at her pathetic attempt at consolation. "You're right--I hate being alone. I hate it every time you leave, and I don't know if you'll be back. I hate it every time I say or do something stupid that gets us in trouble." She stopped and sighed. "I feel terrible about what I've done. I've been trying so hard not to hurt anyone else, but I haven't done anything to keep from hurting you."

Folken rested his other hand over top of hers, finally meeting her eyes with an apologetic expression. "In your situation, it was the only thing you could do."

"That's a terrible excuse," Hitomi scoffed.

"It wasn't an excuse. It was a reason."

Hitomi looked at him incredulously, her eyebrows furrowing. "Sometimes, I just don't get you. Why do you always sit by and let all these bad things happen to you?"

Folken looked away and didn't say anything for a long time, so long that Hitomi began to wonder if she had offended him. "Because it works out better for everyone else if I do," he finally said. "And after everything I've done, I deserve it."

She squeezed his hand. "Stop saying that. You're no less deserving than anyone else."

He looked down at her and their gazes locked. In the deep crimson of his eyes, Hitomi saw the reason of her recurring nightmare. "Now I get it. In my dream, I'm not the one that's falling. It's you. That's why you didn't catch me, because you were falling, too. You stopped trusting your wings." Suddenly, she had an idea. "Get up and show them to me."

"What?"

"Your wings. Let me see."

Puzzled, Folken got up and turned around, letting his wings grow from his shoulder blades in a gentle mist of feathers. They had changed from when Hitomi saw them during their imprisonment in Zaibach. They were strong now, and silky white, fully alive, as opposed to the weak, dying black that they used to be.

Hitomi bent down and picked up one of the feathers he had just shed, along with the black ones on her beside table that she had somehow kept hold of despite everything.

"They're back to the way they should be, now that the fate alterations are over. When I was falling, I wished for you to take me away, and you did. That's why your wings turned white again," Hitomi explained. "You aren't dying anymore. The evidence is right here, but for whatever reason, you don't believe it. You don't think you deserve this, or anything else that's given to you without a price." She stood up and took his hands again, an idea suddenly coming to mind. "Come with me, just for a minute."

Hitomi led Folken through the house outside onto the dark grass. It was still very early in the morning, and the sky was still dark and star-dusted. A roughly cut wooden ladder leaned up against one wall. Hitomi spotted it and gripped the coarse rungs, pulling herself up onto the thatched roof. Turning around, she kicked over the ladder and stood up.

"Now I'm up here, but I'm not falling and you don't have to catch me. I _might_ fall at any time with just one misstep, but then again, I might not. I can't predict what will happen and when, but whatever happens, happens for a reason. That's the way life works, and I trust that reason. If I didn't, then things wouldn't be the way they are now. People don't just have all bad luck or all good--there's a balance. You have to believe that, otherwise we'll be apart like this forever."

"What if something goes wrong?" Folken asked, looking up at her. She could hear the doubt in his voice. "Do you still believe in your reason?"

Hitomi nodded, tears coming to her eyes. She tried to swallow them, in hopes that with the darkness he wouldn't see. "You just have to trust it and not worry about what could happen in the future. It might not actually come to pass."

Folken didn't respond, but his silence told Hitomi everything she needed to know. _He still doesn't believe me, and he never will._ She crawled farther up the roof, faced away, and sat down. _He doesn't believe me when I say it's all right to be happy, and that he doesn't deserve to hurt all the time._ Hitomi covered her face with her hands. _He doesn't even believe me when I say I love him . . ._

A soft gust of wind played with her hair, and a clump of dark clouds drifted in front of the two glowing moons, darkening the landscape until it was almost pitch black, but Hitomi didn't notice. _What if he's right, and we_ don't_ deserve this? How are we supposed to know?_

"How are we supposed to know if our future will be good or bad?" Folken's voice was a whisper right beside her ear, startling her, and her heart leapt uncontrollably. "How are we supposed to know if we'll be alive one day and not the next, or if someone better has died while we live?"

Hitomi uncovered her eyes and opened them.

"Since I met you," he went on, "I realized that I don't want to know anymore. I don't want to care if what I've done in the past determines what will happen to me in the future." Folken put his arms around her stomach. "I thought if I started to believe things could really be this way, then they would fall apart. I didn't believe that I should love you, or that you could ever love me."

The sky was cold, its darkness reaching out to swallow everything, but Hitomi was consumed by the fires in Folken's eyes. She could no longer feel the chill of the nighttime air on her neck, but the warmth of his exhale instead. The deep, passionate love in his heart that had been concealed and denied for so long was brighter than even the alluring glow of the Mystic Moon.

Before she even knew what she was doing, Hitomi turned around and kissed him.

She drew back instantly, the realization of what she had just done suddenly striking her like a bolt of electricity. Both their eyes opened wide, and both were surprised beyond words, but they quickly found that there was no need for them. This time, he didn't hesitate. Folken kissed her back.

Then, with one arm cradled behind her back, the other beneath her knees, Folken took Hitomi in his arms and stood up. As if to prove his faith in what she had said, he unfolded his wings and stepped off the roof. One strong beat kept them from falling, another raised them into the air, then another, and another. Folken lifted Hitomi into the early morning mist that slowly blanketed the countryside, flying away from the small cottage, away from Gaea and its fate. Taking her away from everything.

"Where would I be if I didn't have this?" Folken asked, his voice smooth and gentle. He was smiling, something Hitomi had only seen on the rarest of occasions. The sight drove any remaining doubts she might have had out of mind. "Where can I take you that we'll always be together?"

Her heart beat in time with the soft rhythm of his wings, her arms linked around his neck, and her head against his shoulder. She could hear his pulse matching hers. "Anywhere," she said, closing her eyes. "I'll be with you."

In between the trees that clustered the countryside was a small open clearing. Their flight came to a rest above it, and Folken let them drift safely to the ground. He set Hitomi down, then spread open his wings and fell back. Another miracle; he was laughing.

Hitomi couldn't help smiling as she lay down in the dewy grass next to him. She rolled onto her stomach, leaning on him with her arms folded against his chest, her chin resting on top of them. He lifted his head a little and looked at her reflectively.

"It's been so long since I've seen you happy," said Folken. "I've forgotten how beautiful you are when you smile."

Hitomi's smile brightened. "I could say the same about you."

Folken leaned up a little more, and kissed her again. "This must be a dream. A very good dream."

"If it is, then this time I don't want to wake up," said Hitomi, then added on a sudden afterthought, "Though it's not usually this cold when I'm dreaming."

There was a fluttering beside her, and Folken's white wings enfolded them, cutting off the night's chill. He reached up and touched her cheek, cupping it softly in his left hand. "Better?"

Hitomi leaned her face against it. "Better." She kissed him.

Her lips were so soft, so sweet, just like he thought they would be. He could feel her heart beat faster, and his matching, caught in the moment. She looked so beautiful. No, she didn't just look beautiful; she _was_ beautiful. Everything about her was breathtaking in every way, and he loved it. After the first time he kissed her, he knew there was no way he could stop. Her face, set with the most captivating features, and her caress, more gentle than the touch of a feather. For once, in that one single, sweet instant, she was all his own and he all hers.

Dawn came, far, far too soon, spreading late summer warmth over the countryside through the nighttime mist, and they were both asleep in the cradle of each other's arms. The sky above them was filled with ashy clouds, and the sunlight filtering through them blanketed everything in a warm rose-colored light. It was almost like heaven's kiss caressing her spirit, and after that night, Hitomi never dreamt the nightmare again.

-x-X-x-X-x-

Millerna sighed and leaned her head against the balcony rail, watching the sun rise through the dusty sky. She had been watching it all morning, noting how its colorful light painted the waters of the Asturian Bay with gentle pink hues, and splashed the oceanside city with pastel color. It was like watching a painting emerge from the night.

There was a quiet tapping on her bedroom door, and it opened to admit a messenger somewhat out of breath. "Your Highness," he addressed her with a bow. "Your presence is requested out on the docks."

She turned around. "Why?"

"A crew of men from Egzardia requested to see you," he said.

Millerna nodded and followed him out. Why would a messenger call _her_ out to the docks, rather than come to the palace and ask to meet with her father? That, after all, was the proper course of action to take. The etiquette of visitors to the Asturian court had certainly fallen of late.

A large crowd gathered around one leviship bearing the Egzardian crest, where the messenger led Millerna when they reached the docks. He brought her right before the source of the chaos--the leviship's crew and a girl in a red Zaibach uniform. Upon seeing the princess, everyone bowed except the girl.

"Your Highness," said the captain. "We found this straggler on our way home from the front lines and picked her up to be questioned. But for the last four days, the only thing she's done is say she has to meet with you. We thought Your Highness would like to question her."

Millerna turned to the girl. She sat on a wooden crate with her arms folded patiently in her lap, watching Millerna without saying a word. "Are you sure she isn't an assassin?" asked the princess.

"Positive," replied the captain. "She had no weapons of any kind on her when we picked her up. We think she's more crazy than dangerous."

"How do you know?"

The captain walked up to the girl. "Hey, what's your name?"

"I need to speak with Princess Millerna of Asturia," answered the girl.

The captain turned back to Millerna. "That's all she says. She hardly even eats or sleeps. She just sits around and stares. It's really starting to bother my crew."

_I can imagine._ Millerna walked slowly beside the captain and looked down at the girl. The girl continued to watch her. Her eyes were a startling misty blue, and they looked familiar from somewhere the princess couldn't place.

"Are you Princess Millerna?" the girl suddenly asked in the same monotone voice she used to answer the captain.

"Yes."

"I have a message for you." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a couple of neatly folded sheets of paper. "The Girl from the Mystic Moon instructed me to give this to you."

Millerna, who had been reaching for the letter, froze. "Hitomi?"

The girl neither confirmed nor denied this. Instead, she kept talking, as if reciting a memorized speech, and not doing a very good job of it. "My name is Celena. I'm looking for my brother, Allen Schezar. He is a Knight Caeli of Asturia. Do you know where I can find him?"

Millerna turned back to the captain. "I'll take her back to the palace. I would like to speak with her in private, if you don't mind."

"Go ahead. She's yours now."

-x-X-x-X-x-

/./Tell me again what we're doing here././ Dilandau said sarcastically.

Millerna led Celena to her chambers where they wouldn't be disturbed, and closed the door. She motioned Celena toward a chair by the fire and sat down in another near it.

Celena sat rigidly on the edge of her seat, highly aware of the definite sanctity of the princess's private room. /I want to find my brother. I thought you said you didn't mind./

/./I didn't realize you were serious././

/You thought I was joking?/

/./I was _hoping_ you didn't actually mean to go through with it././

Mentally, Celena rolled her eyes.

"I don't mean to be rude," said Millerna suddenly, "but are you really Celena Schezar?"

Celena nodded.

"This can't be possible. Allen's little sister was kidnapped and tortured to death years ago by Zaibach. You can't be her."

"I am."

Millerna sat forward in her chair. "How did you manage to escape?"

"I'd rather not talk about it, but you have to believe me. I have this letter." Celena gave Hitomi's letter to the princess. "Hitomi told me to give it only to you."

Millerna looked skeptical, but unfolded it and read.

_Dear Millerna, _

Before I say anything, I want to tell you that I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything. I should have told you what was going on before I just snuck away from the palace like I did. I hope no one's been really worried, but it was better that I didn't tell anyone, or else you would have followed me.

I know you're wondering why I left. The reason was that I couldn't stand to see my power hurting people anymore. I know that what happened to Palas on your wedding day wasn't my fault, but there were other things. Back then, I was messing with fate when I shouldn't have, and I kept hurting everyone around me. I needed to get away somewhere where I wouldn't need my powers. Not that it made much difference.

I guess I couldn't hide from my destiny after all. No matter where I went, bad things kept happening, and it all turned out to be a sign driving me toward the empire. As you must know by now, Gaea's fate isn't under Dornkirk's control anymore, so now no one needs my powers, and I can really put them to rest.

There were several dark blotches where words had been crossed out. Millerna could see Hitomi had put a lot of thought into this letter.

_Please forgive me for not coming back to Palas right away and telling you all this face-to-face. I'm not ready yet. Some things have happened, and I'm not completely sure if I'm ready to tell everyone. It's not that I'm embarrassed or anything, I just don't know how to say it. I can barely tell_ you_ through this letter without imagining your expression when you read this. _

I'm in love with Folken. I really, truly love him. I don't think I'm imagining this, like I always used to imagine the guys I loved actually loved me in return when they didn't. He loves me too. It's just so obvious in everything he does, and especially when he smiles. And yet, it's so amazing. He loves me. He really loves me.

I know you're wondering how and why this happened. Believe me, so am I. Why me? Why Folken? It just doesn't make sense, does it? I think that's why I've been hesitating to go back to Asturia. I'm sure when I understand this, I'll be ready. He's one of the most unlikely people I can think of that I'd ever fall in love will, and yet, here I am, in love with him.

I wonder if this will last. You know me--I fall in love so easily. Is this going to be any different from any other time? Right now, what I feel for Folken seems so much like what I felt for Allen. That's so weird, isn't it? They're such opposites. People say love is blind to appearances, but it must also be deaf to what's inside. Why else would it set me up with someone who, at one time, was my enemy? Oh sorry, I'm rambling. I'll move on.

It's totally my fault that we left and took Escaflowne. Folken didn't steal it, and he didn't kidnap me. That's probably what it looked like to everyone back in Palas, didn't it? I definitely should have left a note or something to explain what was going on.

I ran into Folken when I was leaving the palace, and he wouldn't let me go anywhere without someone who knew their way around Gaea. You know how lost I get just walking around Palas. It probably wasn't the greatest idea to take Escaflowne, but it was the best transportation we could find. I hope Van didn't do too badly without it. Tell him I'm sorry. This whole thing was a big spur-of-the-moment decision, but it's probably the best one I ever made.

I hope you can understand why I did this. Who knows when things might have gotten so out of control that I killed someone close to me? I killed enough people just by drawing Zaibach's attacks to wherever I was. I probably could have done things differently, but now that's all in the past, and it doesn't matter anymore.

I had a hard time deciding whether or not to send you this letter, but then I thought, you know what it's like to be in love, which is why I felt like I could tell you this. If you feel like you should tell everyone else, or let them read this letter, go ahead. I just wanted to tell you first. I'm not sure when I'll be coming back to Palas. It could be a couple months or even years, I have no idea. Right now I'm not looking at the future the way I used to. I'm trying to focus on the present, because that's what's here now.

If you're reading this now, it means Celena reached you. I hope you believe she's really Allen's little sister. I do. Take her to Allen and tell him I found his real little sister for him. I think he only ever saw me as a replacement for Celena, but I don't care. I hope you can all be happy together. Maybe we'll see each other again soon, and you can see how happy I am.

Sincerely Your Friend,

Hitomi

Millerna put down the letter and turned back to Celena, who stared into the fire with spellbound fascination. "Is something wrong?" asked Millerna.

"It's warm," Celena said. "It's been so long since I was warm I can hardly remember it."

"Do you want me to send for your brother?"

Celena looked up at her. "You believe me?"

Millerna held up the letter. "Hitomi explained it all to me. And you look about like what I expected you would. Allen's told me about you before, and I always imagined you'd look something like this. You two have almost the exact same eyes."

Celena smiled.

/./So, we're staying I take it?/./

/Yes./

/./Wonderful././

/You could be more optimistic./

/./Oh, goodness me! We get to meet the wonderful, heroic, beautiful Allen Schezar! Wait, isn't he your _brother_? Oh, how dreadfully lucky!/./

/When I say optimistic, I also mean sincere./

/./Sincerity's up to you. _I_ have no choice in being here, so _I_ don't have to like it././

Celena rolled her eyes. /You could always leave./

Dilandau laughed. /./Ha! That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. How do you expect me to go about that?/./

/I don't know. You tell me. But it'd be pretty miserable if you left./

/./Huh, that's for sure. I'm probably the only sane person in this city././

/Even with Allen, it'd be so quiet without you. Besides, I know neither of us want to be alone anymore./

/./Apparently not././

Celena could tell by his tone that he was sincere this time. She remembered often wishing when she was a child in Zaibach never to be alone anymore, and that wish had finally been granted. Things couldn't be turning out better. She was home at last, about to meet her family, and still with Dilandau. Could there possibly be a better way to start her new life? If there was, Celena didn't want it, because this was more than enough.

-x-X-x-X-x-

"There's another spot over here," said Hitomi. She put a cup down on the floor to catch the drops of water leaking through the ceiling. "I think this part is going bad, too. It smells really moldy over here."

Folken, who balanced on a ladder attempting to fix another hole on the other side of the room with a few torn rags, looked where she was pointing. The straw in the indicated area was soggy and off-color. "Most of the roof is like that," he said.

Hitomi sighed and went out to the open front door, watching the rain in front of her. The steady fall drummed in a gentle pattern on the overhang above. A light wind wafted past, bearing the clean, fresh smell of the rain-washed landscape. Heavy clouds obscured the sun, and the only way to tell it was evening was by the darkening of the gray sky.

"Hitomi? Is something wrong?" Folken stepped off the ladder and walked up beside her.

"It's so sad," she said. "The rain."

"I don't think so."

Hitomi looked up at him.

"Rain is important right now," said Folken. "It washes the smoke out of the air, and the factory ash off the trees. Zaibach and the old world are washing away." He met her gaze. "It's giving Gaea a clean, new start."

"It's just making a lot of mud and grime. How can anything good come from that?"

"The right mud can make bricks to build a house like this for a family who lost theirs."

Hitomi cast a dubious look up at the leaky roof.

"You know what I mean," Folken added.

For a long time they were silent, just listening to the patter of the cleansing rain, and watching it pour down from the sky. Folken held one arm around her shoulder, and Hitomi leaned against him.

"I want to help," said Hitomi suddenly.

"What?"

"I want to go somewhere and help people start their new lives. I want to help them get back everything that my power took away." Hitomi smiled. "I don't blame myself for what happened anymore, but I still want to help. Will you come with me?"

Folken kissed her cheek and smiled. "Where will you go?"

"I want to go back to Asturia. I drew most of the trouble there, and for all the stress I've caused everyone who tried to protect me, I think I owe them the most." She continued to watch the rain. "Not right now, but someday."

That rain poured steadily over Gaea for two weeks without stop; the sky stayed gray and overcast, and the landscape soggy with mist and drizzle. In that time, though everything seemed so drab and tired, the forests and plant life that had been destroyed by Zaibach's economic industry emerged from the mushy ground reborn as tiny green sprouts. There, amidst the decaying rubble of the empire's capitol, a carpet of minute seedlings grew up from the desecration of that which had destroyed them.

Life cycled and recycled. The downfall of one thing gave way to another, and others after that. The old died, soon to be torn down to make room for the new. This unending chain, this living world so impossible to control or destroy by any intent of one's own desires--this was the true power of fate.

-x-X-x-X-x-

_"So by the morning's light,  
We'll be halfway to anywhere,  
Where love is more than just your name . . ."_  
-Evanescence, "Anywhere"

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**THE END.**

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	17. Fine Con Brio

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**_"Anywhere"_ - Finé Con Brio**

By The Last Princess of Hyrule

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**"Ora's Song" - From "Clover" Volume One**

Written by CLAMP  
English to Japanese Translation by The Last Princess of Hyrule

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_English:_ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . _Japanese:_

I want happiness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . _shiawase ni naritai_  
. I seek happiness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ._shiawase ni naritai_

to cause your happiness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . _anata to shiawase ni naritai_  
. to be your happiness. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . _anata o shiawase ni naritai_

so take me . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . _dakara tsurette_  
. someplace far away . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ._yoshi ni kuma de tsurette_  
. . to a true elsewhere. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . _koko jyanai doko kahe_  
. . . please take me there . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ._tsurette watashi o_

magic that lasts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . _tsuzuku kenai mahou_  
. never-ending kiss. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ._owaranai kisu_  
. . reverie without break. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ._kyuukei menai musou_  
. . . imperishable bliss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . _horobiru enai shifukuse_

take me . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ._watashi o tsurette_  
. I want happiness. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ._shiawase ni naritai_

birds sing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . _toritachi ga utau_  
. song of unknown tongue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . _mumei ranai kotoba no uta_  
. . though winged, they. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . _tsubasa ga attemo_  
. . . still fail to reach the sky. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . _todokanai sora_

a place not to be treaded alone . . . . . . . . . . . . _hitorideha ikenai basho_

so take me . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . _dakara tsurette_  
. to a true elsewhere. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . _koko jyanai doko kahe_

wet feathers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . _nureta hane_  
. locked fingers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ._makigemeta yubi_  
. . melting flesh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . _toketa nikutai_  
. . . fusing minds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ._tokeaneta kokoro_

take me . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ._watashi o tsurette_  
. I want happiness. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . _shiawase ni naritai_

Not your past . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ._anata no kakayori_  
. but your present is what I seek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . _anata no ima ga sagashii_

carefully winding back its fragile thread . . . . . . . ._chuubukai resouna kowareyasui o atomodori makusete_

please take me there . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ._tsurette kudasai watashi o_

I want happiness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . _shiawase ni naritai_

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**To Be Continued in "Broken" . . . **

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